Lovers Forged in Fire
by K8Dee
Summary: After graduating from Hogwarts three years ago, Lyla Murphy attends the 422nd Quidditch World Cup. This night has more in store, not just for the entire wizarding world but, for Lyla herself. In the midst of the sheer panic unleashed on the wizarding world after these events and the inner turmoil Lyla herself holds can she open herself to the sole drop tenderness reaching for her?
1. Chapter 1

On the second floor of a half-timbered Tudor with dark wood and white brick in the town of Alcester in Warwickshire, England a slender, slightly muscular girl slept. The mound of cotton sheets she was wrapped in contrasted her bronzed leg that dangled over the side of the bed, her toes hovering inches from the hardwood floor.

"Lyla!" a strict yet musical voice from the ground floor called up to the sleeping girl "Lyla Esmeralda!"

Lyla groaned and lifted her hand to her face to push her long, wavy brown hair away from her hazel green eyes. She sat up, setting her feet on ground and cracking her toes. Then she yawned, stretched and, as she did, the intricate golden tattoo of a Yellow Reaper on her shoulder did the same.

"LYLA!" the voice was right outside the bedroom door now and the drowsy girl, Lyla, got up to open it

"I'm awake" she said groggily opening the door to the round, rosy woman with sharp blue eyes on the other side and then turning her back to her to start picking out her clothes.

"Why don't you wear clothes when you sleep?" her mother, Hannah, asked exasperatedly as Lyla slipped into a bra, her tattoo pawing playfully at the straps.

"It's August mum!" Lyla said as she walked into the bathroom to brush her teeth

Hannah sighed, "Okay well Jerry is ready and raring to go to the match so let's get a move on" She snapped the door shut behind her to give her daughter some privacy as she finished getting ready.

"_Well, I took a stroll on the old long walk _

_Of a day-I-ay-I-ay _

_I met a little girl and we stopped to talk _

_Of a fine soft day-I-ay-I-ay _

_And I ask you, friend, what's a fella to do _

_'Cause her hair was black and her eyes were blue _

_And I knew right then I'd be takin' a whirl _

_'Round the Salthill Prom with a Galway girl" _

The cheerful, booming voice of a large, muscular, dark-haired Irishman carried up the steps as Lyla walked down into the kitchen. Her brother-in-law, Jerry, was singing loudly, completely decked out in Kelly Green. Jerry was so Irish that he probably bled green and pissed pure beer; he couldn't be more excited for the upcoming Quidditch World Cup.

When Lyla hit the landing, he grabbed her and twirled her around several times before letting go and sending her stumbling into the fireplace. Lyla laughed, stabilizing herself on the mantle and then giving Jerry a small shove.

"Ah, you're a pain in me arse Lye!" he picked her up over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes "IRELAND FOR THE WIN!"

"IRELAND FOR THE WIN" Lyla cried in response, pumping her fists in the air triumphantly.

"IRELAND FOR THE WIN" chimed in another voice, emerging from the living room. The tall, teenaged boy with the same coloring as Lyla but with light brown eyes as opposed to her hazel ones, bit into a piece of buttered toast. "Took you long enough to wake up sleeping beauty" he said, jutting his angular chin at Lyla, his half masticated piece of toast bulging into the side of his cheek.

"Good morning to you as well, brother dear" Lyla said, sauntering up to her baby brother, Steven, and standing on her toes to kiss his cheek.

"Eat" their mother said, thrusting a plate of toasts with an array of jams on them into Lyla's arms. She took a piece with strawberry jam on it.

"Where's Vanessa?" Lyla asked her brother-in-law after her older sister.

"Ah, she's sleepin' still" Jerry said, snatching a piece of toast off the plate "She's stayin' home wit yer mum to do...I don know, baby stuff"

"When do you all want to leave?" Steven asked no one in particular

Hannah finally sat down with a steaming cup of black coffee in her hand. "Alicia left with your uncle at four-thirty this morning to get the portkey. So they should be all settled by now. You could leave any time now."

Steven whistled in disbelief and shook his hand like he was trying to shoo a fly, "Blimey, four-thirty, that's the pits"

"Yeh," Jerry chuckled "Glad you finally passed that aparition test, are yah?"

Lyla smirked and picked up another piece of toast, "Only took him about three times" She winked playfully at her younger brother, who scowled back at her.

"Can we just go already?" he groaned

"Yeh, sure" Jerry replied, gulping down what little was left in his coffee mug and bending down to kiss Hannah briefly on the cheek "Tell Nessa that we left and I'll see er soon, pick up some of the victorious team's stuff for er" He pounded the shamrock on his chest and grinned even wider.

"Sure thing, Jerry" Hannah bemusedly replied, the corner of her mouth turning up slightly.

Jerry headed toward the door and Steven turned toward his mother to kiss her on the cheek before heading out the door. Lyla stood up from the table and knelt down to kiss her mom as well.

"Love ya, mum" she said, smiling down at her

"Love you too," Hannah replied "Watch out for Alicia, alright?"

"No problem" Lyla replied, waving as she exited out the door behind her brothers, the three of them turning simultaneously on the spot and disappearing.


	2. Chapter 2

_Pop_

_Pop_...**_Thump_**

"Oww"

Was the first thing Kate heard after apparating to the camp grounds of the World Cup. She looked down to where the pained groan had come from, to see her brother flat on his face in the grass.

"Ah' least ya didn' splinch yerself" said Jerry, lifting Steven off the ground with a chuckle

"Lyla!" A soft, deep voice came from behind the trio. She spun around to see her Uncle Ethan, a tall, chiseled and distinguished man in his early fifties waving at her through the mass of people.

"Uncle Ethan!" she cried, a smile stretching across her face as she waved her hand frantically back at him. She tapped her brother on the shoulder as he was dusting himself off from his fall and gestured toward their uncle; the three of them made their way through the crowd toward him.

"Ahh Lylabug" he sighed and hugged Lyla when she reached him. Despite the fact that she was twenty-one years old, he still called her that...and she didn't mind one bit. Ever since her father had disappeared ten years ago Uncle Ethan had gone above and beyond for her and her siblings. Ethan moved down the line to pull Steven into a quick hug and then shook Jerry's hand.

"Hi!" a skinny girl with curly, dark brown tendrils, darker and curlier than her sister's hair said, lifting the flap of a nearby tent.

"Did you get some sleep?" Ethan asked her

"A little" she replied as she hugged Lyla "I'm too excited!"

"Me too!" Lyla said, laughing and squeezing her little sister

"Why don't we all get settled in and be excited later" Uncle Ethan said, chuckling and opening the tent flap to let the group in. Lyla flopped down into an armchair by the front and propped up her feet.

"So where're ya sitting Ethan?" Jerry asked, sitting down at the kitchen table

"Top box" he replied a little frustratedly, putting the kettle on the stove "I'd rather be with you lot though" he winked at Lyla and she smiled back at him.

"Let's go for a walk!" cried Steven from the back of the tent "I don't want to be in this tent all day!"

"You're such a brat" Lyla called back to him

"No, Steven, that's a good idea. You can go to the water pump and get me some water for the tea" said Ethan

"Okay" Steven said, standing and picking up a bucket "Come on Alicia" she stood up and followed him out of the tent

"Well, since everyone else is leaving…I'm gunna go look for ma mate" said Jerry "He said he'd be comin' an' I haven't seen 'im in a while now" He stood up and followed after Steven and Alicia

It was quiet for a while as Lyla walked around the kitchen, putting some dishes back in the cupboards

"A friend of mine from the Ministry is just across the way and I was thinking of popping in on him" Ethan said, standing up "You want to come?"

"Nah," Lyla said, wrinkling her nose "Two days back at home and it should be nice to have some quiet. Anyway, I have to finish a report on a Poltergeist in Hounslow"

Her uncle rolled her eyes, "Bloody Christ, Lye. Don't be so serious…what happened to that teal-haired teenager I knew? I miss her…sometimes" he winked at her

Lyla sighed and sat down at the small table, turning around in her chair to face her uncle, "She's still there…sometimes" she smiled as her uncle let out a loud chuckle

"Well, don't work so hard" he said as he left through the flap, waving his hand behind him

She worked in quasi-silence, the jubilance and cheers outside her tent as her background noise. She twirled her quill around in her left hand as she read a file she had brought with her through her black, round-rimmed glasses.

"LYLA! LYLA!" Alicia called frantically to her sister from outside the tent, her voice getting closer and closer until her body broke through the flaps in the tent "We saw-we saw-" she struggled to catch her breath as Steven, dragging the bucket, now full, came into the tent behind her "We saw-HARRY POTTER!" she finally exclaimed

"Oh yeah?" Lyla chuckled "Okay" she pushed her glasses up on her forehead and looked at her little sister "You know, now that you're going to Hogwarts you'll see him a lot more now"

Alicia blushed and looked at her feet, "Yeah, I knooooow"

"Where's Uncle Ethan?" Steven asked

"He went to go see a friend from work" Lyla replied. As though speaking his name had summoned him they heard Ethan's boisterous laughs amongst the bustle outside.

Ethan poked his head in the tent and said, still slightly laughing, "Oh good you're all here, come on out I want to introduce you all to some people!"

Lyla, Steven and Alicia exited out of the tent and followed the path their uncle had cut in the crowd to another tent a few feet away.

Their uncle was still chuckling, his smile wide, as he joked with a red headed man. "Arthur, these are my nieces: Lyla, and Alicia, and my nephew Steven"

"Steven!" cried two voices in unison as two identical red-headed, freckled boys came around the corner.

"Ah, Ethan!" said the older of the red-headed men, much shorter than the other "These are some more of my boys, Fred, George, this is Ethan. He works in the Ministry as well"

"Do you work with Muggles too?" one of the twins asked Ethan as they took turns shaking his hand

"No, I work for the Wizengamot, son" Ethan responded, nodding his head to each of them politely as he shook their hands

"You-you work with Muggles?" Steven asked Arthur, his eyes twinkling. Arthur nodded. "No way!" Steven said enthusiastically, "I find them so fascinating!"

"As do I!" Arthur exclaimed, leading Steven over to a campfire they set up in front of their tent. The twins, Fred and George had gone into the tent and Ethan, Lyla, and Alicia followed Arthur and Steven over to the fire to continue their conversation.

They were all talking and laughing when a large, muscular red-headed man walked up behind the group, behind Lyla, with Jerry. The red-headed man did a double take when he saw Lyla's back; her black racerback tanktop exposing the golden dragon on her shoulder blade, flapping its wings.

He smirked and bent down to her ear, "I'd know that ink anywhere" he whispered, his voice cracking.


	3. Chapter 3

Lyla jumped as the stranger's warm breath tickled her earlobe. She swung around viciously, got to her feet and was standing face to face with large, broad shoulders. Her eyes traveled up to meet the bright blue eyes and focus on the wide jaw speckled with red stubble, rutted nose crooked smile that made up the vaguely familiar face looking down at her

"You know each other?" Jerry laughed looking between Lyla and his friend. Jerry's friend nodded, still smiling down at Lyla, not breaking eye contact as Lyla narrowed her eyes trying to place his face.

"Lyla Esmeralda Murphy" Jerry's friend said, his eyes traveled up to her scalp "Your hair is different" Lyla subconsciously put her fingers to her roots "No!" Jerry's friend said frantically, "I-I like it"

His gaze was starting to make her uncomfortable "I-I'm sorry. I can't place your face" she shrugged. The stranger blinked and looked down, his smile faltering.

"Uhh, Lyla, this is my friend Charlie Weasley" Jerry chimed in, trying to make the best of an awkward situation as he always did "I believe he was your year, a Gryffindor" Jerry slapped Charlie on the back proudly.

Lyla's eyes grew wide and she took a step back to look at Charlie "Charlie…Weasley?" she said and then started laughing. Charlie turned his gaze to the floor and started shifting uncomfortably on his feet. "I'm sorry, Charlie" she said, still smiling and placing her hand on his arm, feeling his large bicep. Her touch brought his eyes instantly back to hers "I'm sorry you just…you look…you got really…" she couldn't seem to find the right words as they stared into each other's eyes as her fingers rested against his defined muscle.

Charlie hoisted a shining grin back onto his face "Hey, we all changed" he twirled the end of her hair in between two of her fingers and winked. She dropped her hand heavily to her side

"Yeah" she said breathlessly

"Hey George" said Fred loudly behind them

"Yes Fred?" replied his twin

"Get me a knife, will you?"

"What for, brother?"

"To cut this tension with"

Lyla blinked and turned back around to face the group, smiling, and sat back down. Charlie pulled up the stump next to her and Jerry next to him. Steven and Arthur had been talking about something called a ruler and began excitedly explaining it to the rest of the group.

A few minutes later Alicia gave out a squeak and everyone turned their head to follow her gaze. Walking toward their group was a girl with light brown, curly hair and a light dusting of freckles across her light skin, a tall, gangly, red-headed boy and another boy with messy black hair and green eyes behind a pair of glasses.

"Harry Potter" Alicia whispered in Lyla's ear.

Lyla pinched her elbow and hissed in her ear, "Calm down crazy." Alicia pouted and crossed her arms but kept her mouth shut nonetheless.

"More of yours, Arthur?" Ethan guffawed, standing up to make room for the newcomers and to extend his hand to them

"No, no" Arthur chuckled, "Just the red-head. Ron this is Ethan, Ethan this is Hermione Granger and, of course you know, Harry Potter"

Lyla's uncle shook everyone's hand as they were introduced to him and said, "Nice to meet you." but he held Harry's hand for a fraction longer, giving him a flighting but meaningful look. "The one's you don't recognize here are mine" he explained and waved his hand, signaling everyone else to introduce themselves.

"Hi, I'm Steven" Steven said, half-standing up to shake everyone's hand

"Jerry, nice ta meet ya"

"A-Alicia" she said, just waving from her seat

"I'm Lyla"

"This is Lyla" Charlie said at the same time that she did. They both looked at each other, and then away.

"Ay, Charlee, come help me get some Butterbeer. It's not an Irish match if I don't get a little forgetful beforehand" said Jerry, standing up and patting Charlie on the back to signal him to go to the Murphy's tent.

Steven, Fred, George, Harry and Ron went into the tent to paint their faces for the match. Hermione sat in Steven's seat.

"So, Hermione" Lyla said "What year are you in school?"

"Fourth year" she replied, politely

"Alicia is going in to Hogwarts this year" Lyla explained, nodding at her sister

"Oh how lovely!" Hermione said, "Are you excited?"

Alicia nodded silently and Lyla knocked her knee into Alicia's leg to tempt her into speaking "Yes" Alicia croaked, "I'm nervous too though." She and Hermione spoke at length about school and what to expect.

Charlie and Jerry came back just as the sky was beginning to glow with the light of the setting sun. They passed around some bottles of Butterbeer to those who were of age in the circle.

By the time the sun finally set, they were all drinking and laughing; a mixture of the Butterbeer and the, now lit, campfire warming Lyla's cheeks. When it was finally time to head toward the pitch Lyla Fred and George to put an Irish flag on her cheek and Jerry handed her a huge green and white fabric top hat with shamrocks all over it and a blinking green necklace. She wore them proudly as all the members of the Weasley and Murphy clan walked down to the pitch. They were all singing and shouting with everyone else and Jerry hoisted Alicia onto his shoulders so she could see over everyone else's heads. Lyla and Charlie mixed in between their two families laughing and joking about the old times, he, too, had allowed his brothers to give him minimal amounts of Irish war paint. When they reached the entrance and had to go their separate ways, Uncle Ethan going with the Weasley's to the Top Box and the Murphy's walking all the way up the steps to their seats that were level with the Keeper's posts.

After two amazing openings from Bulgaria and Ireland, the amazing seats they had to sit so close to all the action, a great time with family and friends, and, not to mention, Ireland winning the World Cup. It really was an amazing experience and a night of a lifetime**.**

After hours of jubilation from Ireland's win and when Jerry finally lost his voice after screaming so much Lyla laid down in her bunk above Alicia's, exhausted and sore but excitement still coursing through her veins and cheers pounding in her ears.


	4. Chapter 4

She must've been dreaming because, after what seemed like hours of silence in her sleep, the screams and cheers broke out again; loud as ever. After a few seconds, she began to stir, these screams making her uncomfortable, she opened her eyes and her vision was assaulted by the bright blaze of the light outside. Something was wrong. She jumped out of bed, landing on her feet and ran to her uncle's cot and shook him.

"Uncle Ethan!" she yelled over the screams outside "Something's happening!" She ran over to Jerry's cot and stumbled over her feet, falling elbow first into his stomach

"OOF!" Jerry shouted when Lyla knocked the wind out of him. Both men stood up quickly and ran to opposite window holes of the tent. As they were looking out at what sounded like madness Lyla rushed to her backpack, draped over one of the chairs and pulled out her wand on her way to the flap. Just as she was pulling it open, Charlie Weasley ran through it and knocked right into her. The momentum plus his significant heft knocked the much slighter Lyla onto the floor.

"Lyla!" he shouted over the noise, bending down to pick her up "Lyla! You need to go! Leave now, take your family home" he looked behind her to see Alicia just beginning to wake up, moaning unhappily.

"Charlie, what's happening?!" she screamed back at him, gripping his forearms. Ethan and Terry moved closer, their faces grim, looking for information.

Charlie looked into Ethan's face and said softly, "Death Eaters."

The color completely drained from Lyla's face as she removed her grip from Charlie's arm and broke free of his. "Alicia!" she screamed, shaking her sister "Steven!" she cried as she crawled over to her brother. "Steven! Wake up"

"Uhmgf?" he groaned, his eyes parting very slightly. At that moment there was a loud bang, prompting Steven to jolt upright in his bed, wide awake.

Lyla pulled her brother out of bed and grabbed her little sister's hand and joined them together. "Go home Steven. Go home and take Alicia with you!" he widened his eyes at her and shook his head furiously. She grabbed his face in her hands and looked into his eyes "Yes! YES! I know you can do it!" She let go of their clasped hands and moved back "Go now!"

Steven closed his eyes tight and not five seconds later both he and a crying Alicia had disappeared. Lyla scrambled to her feet and scooped up her wand, running out of the tent where she frantically looked around for her brother-in-law, uncle and Charlie. She finally spotted them sprinting over to the Wealsley's tent and followed them, trying not to get trampled by the mobs of people. When she caught up to her uncle the touched his arm and he turned to her, shocked.

Charlie turned around too, grabbed Lyla then shook her. "Why didn't you go home!?" he shouted, something painful dancing behind his eyes. Lyla glared at him and knocked his hands off her and pushed him roughly away from her before turning about to face her uncle and Mr. Weasley.

"What can I do to help?" she said to Arthur, her voice lifeless and serious. He lead the way to a group of other Ministry members who had been at the match and were trying to put out the fires that had been set to tents and evacuate their occupants. Jerry and Charlie went with a group to chase down the masked cowards who had wreaked this havoc but Arthur and Lyla stayed to help people out of their tents and get home, using the Aguamente charm to douse all the flames they could.

There was a flash of light off in the distance and everyone stopped and gaped as the Dark Mark formed in the sky. Lyla's jaw was still slack when Arthur shook her lightly and said, "I need to go. You stay here, keep going. I need to go!" Lyla nodded sternly and continued to spout water over tents that were aflame.

The sun was barely peaking over the horizon, turning the sky a blue grey when the last of the cinders were going out and Mr. Weasley returned with Harry, Ron and Hermione in tow. Lyla was too exhausted to ask what was going on. When Arthur's dull, sad eyes met hers and he silently pat her on the back she collapsed to the floor, exhausted, pulling the oversized shirt she had worn to bed down around her knees. He pat her back again, his understanding and comfort pouring through his fingertips, then went back to the tent. When she regained her strength and realized how ridiculous she looked she stood up and walked back toward her own tent.

On her way back to the tent her uncle ran up and hugged her tightly. "Are you okay?" he whispered, stroking her head. She nodded and held her hand out to her brother in law to hold. He took it and squeezed. She smiled, happy that her family was safe and pulled away from her uncle, rubbing his arm supportively.

In the background she saw Charlie holding back behind Jerry. Lyla pushed past her brother-in-law and stood rigidly in front of Charlie looking up at him.

He saw the muscles in her jaw flex and her eyes flash as they pierced his. He also watched her lower lip quiver and the goose bumps crawl over her soot stained skin.

"I'm sorry" he whispered bashfully. At this, a shiver ran up her spine and a tear fell down her cheek; making a clean track down her black face. He reached up and wiped it away.

"Charlie!" Arthurs voice came from behind Lyla and she whipped around, wiping her own face roughly. "I'm sorry Charlie but we need to go…your mother"

Charlie straightened and nodded his head to indicate he was coming. "Can I write?" he asked Lyla softly, bending down to her. She smiled, but not enough for it to reach her eyes, and nodded her head. Charlie took her hand and stroked it gently before letting it go and moving toward his father.

"Tell your uncle I'll see him at work, Lyla!" Arthur called to her. She nodded grimly and walked into her tent where her family was sitting, waiting for her; both men staring blankly in opposite directions.

"Arthur said he'd see you at work" she informed her uncle, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Okay" he said, his voice gravely and almost gone "Let's go home"

Lyla and Jerry both nodded slowly before disappearing from the campsite.


	5. Chapter 5

Hannah had lost her mind worrying about her daughter, brother and son-in-law for hours after Alicia and Steven had arrived home and told her the gist of what they thought was happening at the campsite. Hannah turned the radio on just in time to hear a frantic reporter screaming, "The Dark Mark! The Dark Mark!" She spent the rest of the night shaking with fear, sitting in silence with her two youngest children, listening to the radio broadcast.

"Mum!" Lyla called to her from the street as she ran into the house behind her uncle and brother.

Hannah stood up so quickly the chair she was sitting on fell to the floor and ran right into her brother, her arms closed shut around him quickly then she moved to Jerry, let go and wrapped her arms tightly around Lyla's neck. "Thank Merlin" Hannah said, breathlessly her cheek wet against her daughters.

"It's okay, mum." Lyla said, rubbing her mom's back. "It's okay" she repeated softly and nuzzled her head into her mother's neck. She breathed the smell of her mother, a smell she supposed only mothers had; that faint breath of a flowering field, freshly cleaned sheets, and cinnamon.

"Now!" Hannah sighed loudly, she voice an octave higher than usual "Everybody upstairs, get cleaned up, change, rest. I'll make something to eat"

All too tired to argue, Lyla wrapped her arm around her sister's shoulders as they shuffled up the stairs to their rooms, Steven following behind, his feet heavy with fatigue and his arms gripping the railings on either side of him tightly as he followed them. Jerry had sprinted up the stairs minutes earlier, not bothering to stay in the kitchen with everyone else but to go see his wife. As Lyla walked past her sister's open door she saw them grasping each other, her face wet and eyes shut as they tried to diminish as much space between them as they could without squashing Vanessa's large stomach protruding between them.

Once her door closed Lyla went right into the bathroom and sat on the edge of the old claw foot tub that took up most of the space within. As she ran warm water from the tap, her fingers danced beneath it checking the temperature. She stared at nothing and thought of nothing but the water between her fingers. She cupped her hand and used it to rinse the black and grey smudges of soot off her arms, legs, face and neck. When the bath was full and at the perfect temperature she reached for a small, amber glass bottle on the edge of the sink, unscrewed the top and squeezed three droplets of the dark green liquid from the pipette. As each drop hit the water it swirled and mingled with the clear water, turning the whole bath an opaque, mint color and releasing the scent of eucalyptus and wintergreen into the air.

As Lyla lowered herself into the warm water she let out a groan of both relief and sadness. The newly dawned sun was shining through the one small window over her, it lit the walls in shades of orange, reminiscent of the fires that scattered across the campgrounds at the World Cup and burned so many people. Three tears fell from her eyes and slid down her cheeks. Then, she submerged her head under the water, the minty-ness of the water stinging the delicate skin of her eyelids.

Under the surface of the water she let herself grieve. Ever since her father had disappeared ten years ago she had mastered the art of suppressing overwhelming emotions and, after years, knew how to control them. She pulled her head out of the water again, her nostrils drinking in the heavy, fresh perfumed air coming off the bath's still waters. The tracks of her tears were gone, along with her thoughts of last night.

Her head no longer submerged, she gathered up all of her hair and coated it with a purple cream, so thick it was almost clay. When she was finished she twirled her hair up into a knot at the top of her head and closed her eyes, resting her head against the tub.

Intoxicated by the heavy steam filling the room, the biting, cold scent of the wintergreen, and soothing scent of eucalyptus when she finally stirred to the knocking coming from the bathroom door she had no recollection of how long she had been asleep but the water was much cooler than she remembered.

"Who?" she said softly, sitting up in the tub and rubbing the nape of her neck, her small, round nipples perking up as they were drawn out of the cold water and into the cooler air.

The door opened in lieu of a response and her older sister, Vanessa, waddled into the bathroom and sat down on the small toilet crammed into the corner adjacent to the tub. Vanessa stared at her sister for a while then picked the only words she wanted, "I love you"

Lyla smiled, "I love you too" she looked at her sister's stomach. "Are you alright?"

Vanessa smiled back, touched she stomach and let out a light, musical laugh like a fairy "Oh yes" she said, "We got a scare but we're perfect. As usual" she shrugged one shoulder, rolled her eyes playfully and flipped her hair. Lyla smiled bigger and submerged her head back under the water; this time to rinse the thick, now dry, cream out of her hair. As she loosened the playful tendrils into the water the purple mingled with the green of the water and turned it a muddy blue. When every strand was free of the cream she sat up quickly, splashing her sister - who squealed.

"I think everyone is about ready for lunch" Vanessa informed her, "Will you come down?"

"Lunch!" Lyla breathed, amazed "Already?"

"Mhmm" Vanessa nodded and stood up slowly

"Yeah I'm just getting dressed." Vanessa exited as Lyla wrapped herself with a towel and pulled the stopper on the tub. Alone again, she toweled off in silence and walked over to her mirror to squeeze her hair dry and look herself over. The head of the dragon on her shoulder was peaking onto her neck, appearing to rub against her for comfort. She stroked it softly and it disappeared. She turned her back and saw it curled up on her middle of her shoulder blade. After watching it sleep for a minute she turned to her closet and got dressed in a loose, comfortable, long sleeved shirt and cutoff sweat pants then headed downstairs to be with her family.


	6. Chapter 6

For weeks after the tragedy at the World Cup Lyla stayed with her family having taken the time previously to give her sister a baby shower and see her little sister and brother off to Hogwarts before going back to work.

Lyla had been at her happiest in light of the recent events at her sister's baby shower. The back yard where the tables had been set up was green and full of bubbles drifting through the air, reflecting the bright colors of the packages and flowers in their sheen. Her mother was at her height of hostessing and grinning from ear to ear. Despite the jubilance of the party and the fact that everyone had a great time playing games and sharing stories there was still the shadow of unease waiting for each guest as they entered back into their normal lives, back to the news and radio reports and speculation of the night so many weeks ago.

At Platform nine and three-quarters Lyla was able to hug her sister before she started her first year at Hogwarts.

"I want to hear everything!" she squealed excitedly as she tucked Alicia's hair behind her ear.

"I'll send you an owl as soon as I get to my dormitory" Alicia said, her eyes sparkling, "My dormitory!" she repeated jumping up and down on the balls of her feet.

The whistle sounded from the front of the train and Lyla kissed her sister's head before handing her off to her mother to get a five-second lecture before she needed to board. Lyla stepped back and rested her head against a pillar and waved as the train as it pulled out of the station.

"What a year to start" Charlie had said as he crossed the crowds of people to Lyla. He put his arm around her waist and pulled her into a hug.

"Oh!" she exclaimed surprisedly and put her arms around his neck to give him a quick squeeze in response. As her heels lowered to the ground and he relinquished his grasp from her waist she smiled at him. "That is not the Charlie Weasley I remember" she smirked.

He shrugged and rubbed the back of his head. A soft hand touched Lyla's shoulder and she turned around to face her mother who was successfully holding back tears from saying farewell to her two youngest children. Lyla went to hug her but her mother, instead, grabbed her arm and turned her back to Charlie, "And who is this?" she asked, sniffling, as a knowing smile crept onto her face.

"Charlie Weasley" Charlie said, beaming, as he held out his calloused hand and shook Lyla's mother enthusiastically.

"Oh Charlie Weasley!" she said, glowing. "One of Molly's boys! How nice to meet you, I'm Fiona! And how do you know my Lyla?"

"Well, we were in the same year mum." Lyla said, squeezing her mother's shoulders "He was a Gryffindor though."

"Ohhh" Fiona cooed, "Lyla's father is a Gryffindor."

Charlie's glance moved quickly to Lyla just in time for him to see her face become stony. He knew that Lyla's father had been missing for almost ten years and, yet, Mrs. Murphy had referred to him in the present tense.

When Lyla felt his eyes on her she quickly spoke, "Yeah mum, yeah. Anyway, Charlie, it was nice to see you." And she began to turn her mother away

"No, no!" Fiona said, turning back to face Charlie. "How much longer are you in England? Come have lunch with us at home."

"No, mum, that's okay" Lyla said loudly as Charlie opened his mouth. "Besides I'm staying home in London, remember? Back to the real world"

Fiona giggled and put a finger to her temple, "Oh I forgot!" she said and kissed Lyla firmly on the cheek before turning to Charlie to shake his hand again. "It was nice to see you, Charlie! Bye now you two!" And before Lyla could say goodbye she had disappeared into the crowds of people.

"So," Charlie said, breaking the silence "You live here in London then?"

"Yeah" Lyla sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear "Yeah just recently moved here to be closer to work. When are you headed back to Romania?"

"Coupla days" he said, nodding "Do you...wantogeta drink?"

"I'm sorry?" she asked, unable to understand the end of his question

"A drink" he cleared his throat "Do you want to get a drink?"

Lyla's eyes sparkled, "I know the perfect place."

They walked along the damp London streets, his hand hovering over the small of her back as he strode alongside her; his stocky frame semi-shielding her from the downward spritz that was coming from the sky. He followed her lead, silently, keeping pace with her as she turned at random intervals to look back at him and smile as though she were making sure he could keep up. Suddenly, she stopped, turned on the spot three times while stomping her left foot on the ground then grabbed him by cuff of his shirtsleeve, close to her, and pushed her body against his as the ground below them crumbled away.

Charlie landed flat on his back, his knees pointed to the street above from which they fell. He blinked three or four times, his eyes adjusting to the much darker place he found himself in. While Lyla had landed across his body on her side the impact and darkness didn't seem to have phased her as she stood up quickly, brushing herself off. Instead of bending down to help Charlie up she pulled her dark grey, long sleeved shirt off over her head to expose the cerulean, lace bralette top underneath. She pulled her skinny jeans down to rest over her hips and expose her lower abdomen. Charlie propped himself up on his elbows and watched her as his eyes had adjusted to the light.

"What are you doing?" he asked

"Getting ready!" she huffed impatiently as she took her hair down from the bun on top of her head and shook the hairs into a fluid waterfall down her back. She smiled at his confused look and offered her hand to him. "You don't ask Lyla Murphy for a drink and expect her to take you someplace average, do you?"

"No, I guess not" he chuckled as he vaulted to his feet "Where are we then?"

"The Turner" she said, turning on her heel and leading the way down a couple of stairs and to a bright red door with a blue light shining on it. She rested her hand on the knob and looked back at him as he moved closer to her. "Where it can be any time you want." She opened the door.


	7. Chapter 7

The Turner was a loud bar with a lot of multicolored lights bouncing off the different colored bottles and mirrors that decorated the walls. It was like living in what muggles referred to as a "disco ball." Lyla grabbed Charlie's hand and pulled him along behind her to the bar.

"Hi-aye Jack!" she shouted to the thin, lanky male bartender wearing dark lines around his eyes. She hoisted herself onto the bar and leaned over to kiss him on both cheeks. "This is my friend Charlie!" she said, putting her hand on his bicep and rubbing her thumb against his skin "He's only in town for a little bit so I had to bring him here!"

"Sorigh Lollie!" Jack nodded, shaking Charlie's hand "Yew gunta mayk som byewtifoll baybees tugeffa?" he winked at Charlie who looked befuddled

"Stuff it ya queen!" Lyla shrieked and threw a napkin at him. Jack stuck his tongue out at her and she mimicked him. He disappeared behind the bar going to make them each a couple of drinks.

"What'd he say?!" Charlie asked, bending down to Lyla's ear

"Oh nothing" she replied, pursing her lips and rolling her eyes "He's a joker"

"A joker about what though?" Charlie asked concernedly

Lyla sighed and turned to face him, "Jack asked if we were going to make beautiful babies together"

Charlie thought about how, five years ago, he would've blushed at a comment like that. After having grown into the strong, confident person he was today and living as a friend to Lyla while they were in school, not having heard from her in the years since their graduation, then, reunited with her again today he knew in his heart that he loves her as much as he did the day he met her on the Hogwarts Express, despite the distance she had put between them over the years.

"Probably" he said, his tone even, as he stared into her eyes. She furrowed her brow and twitched, her face turning away from his. At that moment Jack returned with two short glasses of deep blue liquid with a dense mist resting on top of it.

Lyla picked hers up quickly and gulped it down, avoiding eye contact with Charlie. He was smirking down into his drink, thinking about how the tables had so neatly turned between them.

"Ha" Lyla gasped as she set the glass back down on the table "Well we both know I'm not the mothering type." She hopped off the chair and over to the dance floor. There were always at least twenty people in The Turner, most of them ragamuffins from the day or week before who had no where to go and no desire to be anywhere else or, simply, didn't know what time it was to leave.

As Lyla twirled around the dancefloor with another female, Charlie finished his drink slowly, and solemnly his eyes moving between her and the glass in his hands. By the time he had finished he had gained back his resolve, forcefully put the glass down on the bar and moved toward Lyla on the dancefloor. He roughly grabbed her arm, the solid, uneven callouses on the heel of his hands scraping against her smooth, tan skin. He flung her arm around his neck and rested his hands on her strong hip bones, just above the top of her jeans.

Lyla rolled her neck backward, loosening her hair from the lace fabric of her bralette and flexed her strong arms, moving her body closer to Charlie's as they danced together, her breasts and stomach now resting against his chest and abdomen. Charlie tried to make his legs move with hers as the rhythm of her hips travelled through his fingertips, the friction making his hands hot against her skin.

Jack made his way to the dancefloor with a tray of two shots in two rows of two and held it out to Lyla and Charlie. Lyla grabbed the first, rose colored shot glass off the tray, her sensual embrace with Charlie now broken.

"Oooh! It bubbles!" Lyla said with a giggle after putting the now empty glass back on the tray. "Try it Charlie!"

He drank the shot rather reluctantly but was persuaded by her delightful effervescence. They then took a clear shot with miniscule purple spheres in it that dissolved when they hit the tongue. Lyla squealed and threw her arm around Jack's shoulders and nuzzled her face drunkenly in his stubbled cheek. Charlie smiled glumly and gestured that he was going to the restroom, leaving the two of them together.

In the black rimmed mirror Charlie stared at his own blue eyes, frustrated and wounded. When the door opened he dropped his eyes to the sink and pretended to have been washing his hands. As the door closed behind the new occupant of the bathroom the music from outside was blocked out once more. Out of the corner of his eye Charlie saw Jack standing against the door, inspecting his dark, blue nails so he made a quick move to the dryer but Jack cut in front of him again.

"Cawm dayn mate" Jack said when he saw the flare in Charlie's eye "Ahy mean yor mahy type an all but Ahy appen to be awayes dat you got ayes fer somone else." Charlie's eyes narrowed but then he looked down at his feet, embarrassed. "Leesen," Jack put his arm on Charlie's shoulder and Charlie looked back up at him. "Lollies mahy gerl...an Ahy wirries abat er, Ahy really, really do. She's so cut aff frum da werld and keeps erself in such a tite box. But Ahy can tell...Ahy can tell she don wanta ahnee more. An Ahy can tell that she feels sumthin fer you. Nahw, Ahy dunnoe if it's ahny kienda feelin o consequence but dat gerl is mahy soulmate an I can tell wen her soul is areachin out fer anotter." Charlie swallow hard. "Wut do ya need fram er?" Jack asked urgently "You wan er to luv ya? You wan er to sleep wit ya?"

Charlie was quiet for an uncomfortable amount of time as Jack stared at him. "I - I want to hear the truth from her. I haven't heard her tell the truth in almost ten years. Not even to simple questions like, 'Are you okay?' I - I just want her to tell me the truth"

Jack smiled knowingly and dabbed his right eye with a blue velvet handkerchief, "Ahy kno wut you mean. Leeve it to me" Then he opened the door and entered back into the club.


	8. Chapter 8

When Charlie emerged from the bathroom his eyes immediately searched out Lyla, who had a glass held up to her lips and was slowly gulping it down. He made eye contact with Jack, who winked at him a dipped his head toward the glass Lyla was handing back to him. When Lyla saw Charlie she moved briskly toward him, her eyes glassy from drinking and threw her arms around his neck and pulled her face up to his, her legs wrapping around his waist.

"You wanna dance some more?" she said, sweetly, running her hand down the side of his cheek as she looked into his eyes.

He cleared his throat and looked back at her as her thumb began to trace his lower lip. "Actually," he replied, his voice gravelly "Maybe let's go somewhere and get food?"

"I can't go out to lunch like this!" she chortled and slid her legs down his body, her bare midriff running down each crevasse in the front of his torso. When her feet touched the floor her ankle rolled slightly and she stumbled sideways. She smiled up at him but her eyes were watery, and regret was hidden behind them.

"Well..." Charlie said, looking around as if waiting for a proper answer to jump out at him. "How about we order something to be sent to your flat?"

She nodded slowly, her smile never faltering, as she rested her head against his chest just above his heart. She whispered her address to him and waved her fingers at Jack across the bar before Charlie apparated them both to her apartment.

"Ohh! Woah!" Lyla said, stumbling into her armchair by the front door and steadying herself. Charlie could tell by the sway in her legs that the room must be spinning to her. "Sooo...lunch?!" she asked as she straightened back up and stretched her arms to the ceiling. As she did the golden dragon slid up her arm as though to touch the ceiling as well.

"Yeah" Charlie replied, nodding and sinking into her couch.

"Oh!" Lyla exclaimed "Lets order some muggle Chinese food! Oh, Charlie it's soooo good!" Having no muggle telephone she held her wand to her ear to connect with the restaurant. After a second of the irritating ringing that occurs on muggle phones she was connected with a person and ordered two pints of boneless spare ribs, an order of General Tso's chicken and two eggrolls. She then flopped down onto the couch next to Charlie, her head falling back to rest on his arm and her hand falling down his side to rest on his lap. She focused her eyes on his jaw. It was rough and bumpy from shaving but she could see the coarse red hairs starting to peek through. Her eyes travelled up his strong, angular jawline to his earlobe, soft with the light, peach fuzz hairs that coated it.

She moved her mouth up his neck, running over his stubbled skin, up to his soft, small earlobe and enveloped it between her two wet, pink lips. She moved her body up and pushed his face closer against hers as her tongue broke through her lips and licked the back of his earlobe then sunk back into her mouth, his earlobe coming with it so she could better suck on it.

Charlie moved his body into hers, wrapped his arms around her waist and laid her down on the couch beneath him. He had broken his earlobe free from the hot, wet prison of her mouth and was now pressing his lips softly against hers. As her hips moved against his pelvis with the same rhythm they had on the dancefloor and her lips parted to allow his tongue entry into her mouth he thought about how many times he had imagined this moment in all of his adolescence. His hands ran up her bare back and underneath the lace bralette she was wearing, the touch of her smooth skin under the roughness of his hands arousing him further.

"Ahh" Lyla sighed as he released her mouth from his and moved it down her jawline and onto her neck, licking and sucking a soft spot just above her collar bone until it erupted with red spots and turned raw. She moved her hands around from their place on the coarse fabric pockets of his jeans and fumbled her fingers over the smooth coldness of his button, sliding it through the small hole the trapped it in place. She fluidly flipped up the zipped on his pants and pushed it down through the teeth of his jeans, opening the denim trap to expose the soft cotton beneath.

"Mmm" Charlie moaned as her hand slid down the front of his leg, her wrist rubbing against his throbbing penis as her fingers dug into the soft, sweaty skin of his inner thigh. After her fingers had left crescent imprints in his skin from her nails she pulled her hands back out of his pants and started pulling them down over his boxers from behind. When they were down around his knees he sat up straight in his seat again, effortlessly pulling Lyla up onto his lap with him as he kicked his pants off onto the floor. It was torturous having her jeans rub against the bare skin of his legs when he knew her silken legs were just underneath. He ripped the button of her jeans through the hole that held it, grabbed handfuls of fabric in his fists and pulled them down causing the zipper to violently slide open as he ripped the jeans off over the curve of her buttocks. She obediently sat up on her knees, her bare stomach pressed against his chest and his head between her lacy, blue covered breasts so that he could pull her pants down to her knees. When they were scrunched around her kneecaps she rocked backwards, her butt balancing on Charlies knees and she untucked her legs from underneath her and, instead, rested her ankles on either side of Charlie's head so he could remove her pants completely. When they were strewn across the floor alongside Charlie's she quickly resumed her position on top of him, her smooth, bare legs rubbing against his thick, hairy ones.

With the confines of their pants stripped from them she focused her attention on their joined lips. His kisses were more than she imagined growing up; he was much less clumsy than she thought he would be. As his rough hands forcefully grasped her breasts through her bralette she felt her face burn with jealousy, imagining the women he'd been with to become so gentle and assertive. Her cheeks grew redder so she bit down, hard, on his lip. Charlie quickly pulled away from her, holding her by the upper arm to look at her with disbelief. Instead of apologizing Lyla simply smiled and bat her eyelashes at him then narrowed her gaze to his wet lower lip, bright red from friction. Without reprimand he pulled her back to him again, cupped his hands around her neck and penetrated her mouth with his tongue again. Her mouth filled with the bulging heat of his tongue and her cheeks hollowed as she wrapped her tongue around his, their saliva mixing with one another's.

Just as Charlie began to rip down one of Lyla's straps from of her shoulder there was a knock at the door.

The knock came again. "Uggggg" Lyla groaned, pulling away from Charlie. She smiled at him and pressed her forehead to his before dismounting. As she reached the door she quickly bent down into the hamper of clean clothes beside it and pulled on a tee shirt long enough to cover the bottom of her butt cheek.

Charlie remained on the couch, his pants now draped across his lap as he listened to Lyla jovially interact with the delivery man outside. His rubbed his face with his hands, logic creeping in from the back of his mind that had been turned off during his intimate session with Lyla. He knew Lyla, better than she knew herself, but he knew, better than anyone, the disinterest she had in any romantic relationship. He knew, too, that the love he harbored for her after all these years could not be ignored any longer. His attention was on her again with the rustle of the delivery bag hitting the coffee table in front of him.

"The food can wait," Lyla said as she got back on his lap, pulling her shirt off over her head. "It tastes better cold anyway."

"Wait" Charlie snapped, holding his hand up before she could kiss him.

"What?" she chuckled, slumping over next to him and giving him the same sweet smile she always gave him.

His eyes darted from side to side as he searched for the words he wanted to say first. For minutes that seemed like days he couldn't find them. In the interim he touched his hand to her cheek and looked into her eyes as though they held the answer.

"Okaaaaay" Lyla said standing up and moving quickly away from him "What is going on? What. Do you not want to do this? Do I repulse you? What?!"

"No, no, no!" Charlie said, standing up as well. "How could you even think that?" he asked urgently, "What makes you say that after all this time?"

Lyla chortled, "Ha! 'All this time' I only just saw you again a couple of weeks ago. It's not like you've kept in -"

"I've?!" Charlie cut her off, angrily "'I've' not kept in touch?! Awww come on Lye don't even lie like that to me! Don't even try, okay?!"

At the word 'lie' Lyla felt a tremble run through her body and she fell completely silent, looking down at her feet. She was suddenly very aware of her nakedness and threw the oversized t-shirt back over herself. She made her way across the small living room and into her kitchen. There, she stopped at the sink and splashed some water on her face, slurping some of the cold liquid into her mouth as she did.

"You alright?" Charlie asked, surprising her as he entered the kitchen.

"Ah! Um, yeah" she said, toweling off her face

"Look, I'm sorry I got..."

"No" she interjected "No you were right, I..." she meant to say 'lost touch' but instead the sentence ended with "...avoided you."

"Avoided me?" he asked, concernedly "Why?"

She looked up at him, her eyebrows furrowed with confusion and her eyes brimming with tears. "Our last night in school...at the astronomy tower."

Charlie blushed like the eighteen year old boy he had been at the time. "What was wrong with that?" he asked, wounded

"Nothing!" she moved closer to him. "No! Nothing at all it was...the best night of my life..." she began to cry silently.

"Hey, hey, hey," he said leading her back to the couch "What's wrong?"

"I don't know how to react to you!" she exclaimed as her body began to shake. She quickly put her hand to her mouth and looked at Charlie with pleading eyes. "And I don't..." she began speaking slowly and with intent "know why...I'm saying these things..."

Charlie lowered himself to his knees and faced her dead on. He finally knew what was happening. "Well..." he stammered, "Are they the truth?" He put together the nod and wink Jack had given him back at the club before they left and Lyla's apparent impossibility to lie. He seethed when he realized that she had been drugged by someone who claimed to be her friend, and yet couldn't help but want to scratch the multiple itches her ambiguity toward him had left over the years.

Lyla pinched her mouth shut as a tear rolled down her cheek and she nodded.

"Then why do they make you sad?" he asked, genuinely concerned

At this, she let out a manic laugh, more like a cackle, and sprang to her feet, knocking Charlie backward. She began to smooth a segment of her hair close to her face, over and over, obsessively, in a way that Charlie hadn't seen her do since the weeks after she got the news that her father was missing. "You - you know I can't" she stammered, her voice angry as more tears rolled down her face "I can't...I haven't...THE TRUTH HURTS!" she shouted, her eyes closed tightly as though willing it all to disappear.

Charlie bolted to his feet and wrenched her arm from her hair, pulling her close to him and hugging her incredibly tight until her rapid breathing slowed. When it finally did he got down on his knee in front of her and brought her face closer to his. "Can I tell you the truth?" he whispered, his breath warming the tears on her cheeks. "Do you want me to tell you?"

She nodded even though she already knew, and what she already knew scared her. For some reason she needed to hear it, she craved the words.

"I love you" he whispered. She tried to pull sharply away from him as she let out a moan of grief. "I love you!" he said more aggressively, pulling her to her knees in front of him. "I've loved you since our third year...I love you!" he repeated

"I KNOW!" she screamed angrily, pushing him away from her and standing back up. "I know!" she said again, more calmly. She backed up against her refrigerator, parallel to her kitchen counter and kept her bloodshot eyes on him as he rose slowly to stand back, across from her. She had never seen his face get that shade of red.

"Then WHY" he demanded furiously, slamming his fist on her counter to emphasize the word 'why' making her jump "haven't you said anything?" He was suddenly aware of how drunk he was, the alcohol effecting his personality more than his physicality. Charlie, frustrated, sighed and made his tone as even and warm as he could, "That night at the astronomy tower...was the closest I have ever felt to you in the ten years I've known you. It was the last time, before now, that you actually told me the truth. You told me about your pain and your recklessness...you told me you loved me too." Lyla locked her eyes on his "Then

you never answered any of my owls, except for one. Two months later all I got was, 'You've been such a good friend Charlie, good luck in Romania'...Now, I know you still have pain, and I know you're still reckless but, tell my Lye, do you still love me?"

"I've...never...stopped" she said slowly, her words trembling almost as much as her body as she continued to cry.

He smiled, overjoyed and cupped her face in his hands, wiping her tears from her face. "Then why did you put this wedge between us Lilac?"

She giggled foolishly at the use of her old school nickname then sobered at the look of hope in his eyes. "I don't deserve you, Charlie" she whispered, closing her eyes. "I've chosen a way to live my life and be carefree...you want so much more from me than that. I don't know if I will make you happy" He opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off. "You deserve a bunch of redheaded children and a wife who cooks and knits and cleans." She laughed and wiped her tears from her eyes and indicated to delivery container to her right with her gaze. "You don't deserve a life of greasy food containers with a woman whose job keeps her in one place for no longer than it takes the moon to change its phases." She let the silence settle into the air to let him know she was done speaking.

"Okay," he began with a huff "First of all that woman you described sounds a lot like my mother and -"

"Yeah ex -"

He held up his hand to her, "AND I'm sorry to tell you but I'm not interested in marrying my mother." He smiled when she did. "Second off, I live in Romania, Lyla. Far away from my family and friends and I go where the dragons go. Just because the last Charlie you knew was Charlie the Prefect doesn't mean that I need my comfort zone. Despite the multitude of times I tried to get to know you, the real you. You never really got to know me. I know, now, that you were scared. But, all I'm asking you know is to give me a chance...get to know me Lyla, let me show you how similar we are."

Lyla shifted her body uncomfortably "I want to..."

"I know you're scared or nervous or whatever...but please let me have at least a fair enough chance to learn why and make you feel safe so you don't have to be scared anymore."

Lyla breathed in sharply and exhaled. She shook the tears from her eyes and hoisted a smile onto her face. "I'd love to try" she said, finally, then reached into the delivery bag, pulled out a white, square box, opened it and held it out for Charlie to pick out a small piece of red meat. "Lets start now"


	9. Chapter 9

That night, Lyla and Charlie had stayed up until two in the morning talking, just like they had three years ago in the astronomy tower. It was difficult but, this time, Charlie did most of the talking. He regaled her with the stories of the dragons he worked with and the Romanian countryside where green fields bled into the dark mountains. Even now, a month later, she could still remember the warmth of his finger playing with the tattoo on her back as they finally dozed off to sleep on the couch together.

Now, it was back to reality. Since the World Cup and everyone at the Ministry of Magic was still reeling with the after effects. Even in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures: Spirit Division, where Lyla worked, they were seeing an increase in activity. When she had arrived on the Monday following the World Cup she was immediately handed a stack of case files that needed attending to. It was as if, overnight, the unseen of the spirit world needed to be known.

After dealing with a particularly disturbed female ghost at a small cottage in Sturston, Lyla just wanted to get to her lumpy bed at the local inn. She picked up a greasy bag of pub food at The Eagle and then rushed back to her vacant bed as rain began to fall in thick sheets. Lyla was soaked as she jabbed her key into the lock of her room door, opening it as quickly as she could to avoid a run-in with any muggle living on her floor. She was able to blend in, her clothes were average for a muggle girl of her age and she even carried a small electronic brick made of glass and played mindless games with her thumbs on it in public to divert attention or potential conversation but she still was overly careful. Only having been two years out of training it was risky to raise suspicion.

She dropped the dripping plastic bag onto the small wooden table beside the door and threw her room key onto an overstuffed chair by the window. She chose nourishment before comfort and kicked her drenched clothes onto the tile floor of the bathroom as she peeled them from her cold, wet skin. She tucked her legs under her as she sat down and tore open her bag of food. As she stuffed chips, three at a time, into her mouth with her left hand she flipped open the case file from today and began writing her notes with her right.

The spirit she saw today was beyond consoling as she openly wailed in the rafters of the house, refusing to come down. Lyla was forced to obliviate the family within and send them on picnic at the river in order to use magic with the spirit. Most muggles confronted with a ghost or poltergeist are beyond willing to call priests and clairvoyants, as Lyla pretended to be, but being exposed to real magic was far too much for them. Besides, even if she needn't use magic it would have been dangerous for any muggle to hear what the spirit deemed the cause of her upset.

Lyla let go of her Quick Quotes Quill to pick up her burger with her other hand but it continued to take down the manuscript she was recounting from her interaction with the ghost.

_"HE'S BAAAAAAACK" the ghost wailed, as she had been since the previous Sunday_

_"I know. I know!" Lyla cried up to the ghost. She had unscrewed the cap of a small bottle and let the lavender mist ascend into the air where the wailing woman was. It was a gas formation of a Calming Drought, its state was hard to achieve but since it was impossible to have a ghost swallow anything potions needed to be converted between liquid and gas states. As the mist mingled with the tendrils of the ghosts dangling shawl her screams died into helpless whimpers and she sunk lower, to Lyla's level. _

_The ghost draped herself over a large round ottoman, her eyes staring off into nothing as her chest heaved up and down rapidly with her, now silent, sobs. Lyla sat on the floor, cross-legged, across from her and opened the file in her lap. The ghost's living name had been Alice and she had killed herself after the death of her young child compounded by the disappearance of her husband. Lyla opened up the conversation by praising Alice's beautiful home and asking if she had made her shawl. Alice disclosed that her great-aunt had made it for her as she pulled it closer around her transparent body. Lyla then went on to divulge the facts of the night that the Dark Mark appeared in the sky as she had for so many other apparitions. She looked Alice right in the eyes and hovered her hand over Alice's white mist of a hand, the cold exuding from it and licking the palm of her hand as the warmth radiating from her hand comforted Alice. _

_"He is not back" Lyla whispered; Alice looked away from her "He really isn't"_

_"He will be" Alice croaked. Lyla didn't flinch for it wasn't the first time a spirit she was attempting to console had said that to her._

_"I can't tell you otherwise on that front" Lyla replied, sighing and bringing her knees up to her chest. "I don't feel or know what you do" she continued, "But what I do know is that your spirit is pure, docile and full of love. Even if he does come back his evil cannot touch that which holds warmth and love. You know, many say that that's why Harry Potter was able to survive...his mother's love" Alice looked back at Lyla, her grey lids sparkling with the tears welling on them. Lyla's voice became brisk and she straightened up, "Alice, remind me again why you killed yourself"_

_"You know why" she said shamefully, her eyes flitting to the case file in Lyla's lap. _

_Lyla threw it to the side and put her face closer to Alice's, the cold mist drying her eyes but she still didn't blink, "Tell me why __**you**__did."_

_After a long silence Alice spoke, almost inaudibly, "I couldn't_ _live without them. I...loved...them" her voice cracked._

_"That's right" Lyla said, smiling. "You had love. That makes you strong. And kind! So please tell me how terrorizing this poor family gives you any kind of release."_

_The side of Alice's mouth perked up and fell again, "What should I do?" she said strongly, sitting up on the ottoman, her hands folded in her lap._

_Lyla looked up at her, her mind racing for an answer. "I don't know" she said finally, "We can help you whenever you need but until anything...real happens there's not much any of us can do." Lyla swallowed painfully as she tried to block out the thought of what possibility a "real" situation could present. _

Lyla woke the next morning, contorted in her chair and her face stuck to the greasy burger wrapper on the table. Her bra and underwear she had left on had dried overnight and she groaned in disgust and discomfort as she peeled the wrapper off her face. She stumbled over to the bathroom, stripping as she went so that she could climb right into the hot shower to release her frozen muscles. She stood, her elbows planted against the tile wall, and let the water cascade down her back. Her tattoo danced around the canvas of her skin, flicking it's tongue out as if to lap the water up. Lyla sighed as the skin on her back blossomed red from the heat of the droplets rolling down it.

When she felt the water beginning to lose it's heat she pulled the shower curtain back and stepped out, the water still clinging to her body quickly making its way downward, onto the floor. When she strode back into the bedroom, leaving puddles in her wake, she noticed a brown, horned owl hovering outside her window. A smile broke on her face and she sped across the floor, sliding gracefully into the wall to open the window and let the bird in. He disgruntledly dropped the letter in his beak onto the floor, right into one of her puddles.

"Ttt" she hissed as she bent down to swiftly save the delicate paper from the destruction of the water. She flopped down onto the bed to read Charlie's letter immediately. Ever since he left they had sent weekly correspondence to one another. They had decided that within their letters they wouldn't tell one another 'I love you' anymore. It was too complicated, living so far away, and if it was one thing Lyla didn't do it was complicated. For Charlie, it was simple, he knew they would be together and he was willing to wait until it was no longer complicated.

After reading a letter mostly comprised of accounts from his work, response to the information she had relayed to him about Hogwarts from Alicia, and a story about a night he and his friend Dorin had gone out drinking, she stood up to get dressed and make her way back home for the weekend before picking up a new pile of cases for the next week.


	10. Chapter 10

On November 22nd, a Thursday, Lyla dressed in Myrtle Green slacks, pinstriped with Sea Green and a tight-waisted, Sea Green peasant top. She had even done her hair with it gathered into a braid running up the back of her head and hoisted into a high ponytail. Her upper lid was lined with a faint purple line, making her eyes even more green and contrasting the deep plum color of her lips. Despite the fact that she was required to dress more professionally on days she needed to present her monthly findings at the Ministry she would never be the long, heavy dark robe wearing kind of girl.

She scooped up her leather shoulder bag filled with her reports and case files, and sprinkled some Floo Powder on the radiator in her apartment. The section where the powder had fallen sunk into the ground as the green flames grew in its place.

"Ministry of Magic" she said purposefully after stepping into the warm flames.

In the split second it took for the Floo Powder to work Lyla had extended her foot and planted it on the black marble floor of the Ministry's atrium. She gracefully began walking, her suede, plum-colored heels clicking on the floor as she crossed to the elevators. She rode the elevator in silence, pressing her back as close as she could to the wall of the elevator as waves of people entered at each new floor.

She pushed through the warm bodies when the soothing voice announced "Care and Control of Magical Creatures" and exited the enclosed box onto the floor of her office. In the center was a large garden with multicolored water trickling down from above it and landing soothingly on the petals and leaves below. The garden took up most of the floor space because, while the department was immensely important, the amount of people that worked there all day, every day was a small fraction of the total number of employees. Aside from the greenspace in the middle, which sprouted plantlife from all over to make any magical creature that entered feel more comfortable, nothing else blocked the views from one die of the department to the other.

Lyla strode over to the far left hand corner where the Spirit Division was located. There, at the first desk, was a small, older woman with a very slight frame. Her fingers were long and you could tell that she had once been a very tall, graceful woman when she was younger. Since then however, age had made her much smaller.

"Hi Beth!" Lyla called to her, swooping down to kiss the woman on her cheek as she passed her desk. Beth said nothing in reply but the apples of her cheeks grew under her eyes as she smiled brightly and continued writing in the planner in front of her.

Lyla was the youngest person in the division; a fact that upset her quite a lot. Not because she didn't enjoy her coworkers, but because she loved and was fascinated by her job and couldn't imagine someone not wanting to be involved with the spirit world as well. She couldn't wait until the end of the year when she was going to be able to do her first Career Expo for the Seventh Years at Hogwarts. Having someone closer in age to seventh years was sure to peek some interest.

"Lyla!" a boisterous voice called from behind the glass wall across from her door. Her boss, Clive Swanson, was a robust man with a perfectly groomed mustache and consistently red cheeks. His imposing form paired with his coloring gave off a very intimidating first impression. The truth was, he was the most jovial, light-hearted man Lyla had ever met. While he impulsively honored the rules and was an effective and respected Head of Division, which he projected by wearing brown tweed suits every day, those in the division knew that his mismatched, brightly-colored socks were the expression of his good-humored nature. "Lyla!" he repeated as he waddled closer to her desk, she stood up. "Good to see you, love! So glad you'll be with us for more than a nod and a wink." she smiled at him but wasn't given an opportunity to speak. "Business as usual, business as usual today. Nothing we haven't done before! So come, come into my office and brief me quickly before we head into the Lion's Den the, shall we?"

He held his arm out and gentlemanly guided her towards his office. She sat down on one of the soft, forrest green chairs opposite his desk and flipped open her compilation of files.

"Now then," Clive huffed as he sunk into his own chair "We know that there's be a spike in activity" he shifted uncomfortably in his chair "pretty much across the board. Since last month, the board just really wants to know if the percentages of ghosts disturbed by...external forces, has fallen."

Lyla sighed as she looked down at the sheets below her. "I mean, yeah" she said finally "B-"

"Good!" Clive shouted, laughing

"BUT" she interjected, "But that doesn't change what happened those first two months afterward. Has the department even sent last month's reports to the Minister's office like everyone suggested?"

Clive grumbled and cleared his throat. "Well, um, no not as such." Lyla rolled her eyes internally; whenever Clive couldn't think of a way to prevent himself from voicing his uncertainties with the ministry he started stringing together random words to make ridiculously pompous and confusing phrases. "As it were they had much to tackle forthwith and...top of the pile, bottom of the pile; you know how it is!" He was nervously straightening papers on his desk.

Lyla crossed her arms, "As I recall, at the last monthly meeting, the Spirit Division wasn't the only division that reported a threefold increase in temporary personality disorders that spirits themselves attributed to the fear or feeling of a 'disturbing' presence stirring after what happened at the World Cup. Giant on giant brutality was up four percent, nomadic unicorns have been tracked in completely new and peculiar directions, and centaurs have begun mobilizing and there has been an increase in communication between clans that otherwise don't. None of that was even reported in the department wide memo!"

When she finished her lecture Clive was looking down at his large, sausage fingers. His dark eyes darted from his hands to her, to the opening of his office and back to Lyla again. His voice was lowered but kind as he responded, "We can't make people see what they don't want to see." His voice was strained and his thick eyebrows raised.

Lyla ran her fingers over her head and down her face as she nodded curtly, "Yeah" she breathed "Yeah, Clive-o, I know." She gave him a sideways smile and stood up. "So what time are we heading down?"

He looked at the wooden mantel clock on his desk, "Hour and half" he replied, rocking back in his chair.

"Okay," she said, smiling as she returned to her desk.

At eleven thirty Lyla and Clive convened in the front of the elevator doors with two other representatives from each division waiting to go down to the Wizengamot trial room. The Care of Magical Creatures Department was comprised of incredibly interesting wizards. In school, they had all been a nerd for one thing or another. It didn't necessarily impede their abilities to socialize but it did make them incredibly interesting. The two representatives for unicorns had shimmery, light blue hair with porcelain skin. The male of the two constantly wore round-rimmed sunglasses, even indoors, which made him look even paler. The female, head of department, was much older and wore pastel, pearlescent stockings with all her suits. Ironically, all the representatives for goblins were very tall where the giant trackers were all petite in height. Lyla looked down at herself, back towards Beth sitting in her desk in her violet suit garnished with a large peony on the lapel and down at Clive's socks, lime green and cream polkadots on the left foot and raspberry socks with snitches on the right, and thought about how contradictory they were as well: refusing to blend into the shadows in which they spend all their time.

After the group of misfits boarded the elevator it sped down towards the Wizengamot; due to the capacity being met it surpassed all other floors. When it reached the lowest level it jolted and the doors pinged joyfully as they opened.

As expected, the ministry committee was running behind with their briefings so the heads of each division brought their employees together to discuss their findings and find any commonalities between them. With each new piece of information shared and compounded on you could see the heads becoming sullen.

"We have to show a united front!" the head of the centaur watchers growled frustratedly. He had pale amber eyes that stood out against his dark skin and amplified his intensity.

"They didn't listen last time, they won't see it this time" the head giant watcher croaked in a deep, toad-like voice. "It's just a damn formality."

With the truth hanging in the air everyone fell silent. As though sensing the group's frustration the door opened and the Underage Regulatory Committee filed out. As the door began to slowly close when the last person left the head for unicorns swiftly stuck her foot in the way so that it couldn't completely close then kicked it back open for everyone to follow her in without being called first.

"We haven't called you yet." Cornelius Fudge stated indignantly.

The end of his sentence was drowned out by the head of centaurs bringing his tangerine-faced watch up to his eyes and saying, "My, is it one o'clock already?" Their appointment had been for twelve and, suddenly, Fudge was quiet.

He cleared his throat authoritatively. "Well then. First, all of you must hand in your paperwork to the clerk." Lyla had already gotten in line behind her department peers and handed in the copies of her case summaries before Fudge had even begun speaking. After roll had been painstakingly called and they reviewed the pressing points of last month's meeting each head stood up to give an update from their department on the advancements that had been made since last month. No one had anything reassuring to report other than the fact that the three goblins who had gone missed weeks ago turned up in a creek in Ireland, hiding under a bridge and scaring children on their way home from school. They had been drinking quite a lot.

The ministry members asked about population growth of the giants and for an updated lineage form for the elves to see if any had changed ownership or been freed recently. All they wanted to know from the spirit world was the accumulated price of remedies for the two cases of Mist Rot that had been dealt with in the last month. Then, just like that - after the goblins had given their final report on banker training classes, the meeting was over.

They all obediently exited the chamber but, before the last representative closed the door behind him, he looked directly at the clerk who had taken and was responsible for reading and storing their summaries and said in a high-pitched voice, "I think you'll want to take note of the common theme and phrase I'm sure we've all included in our findings for this month...'He's back.'" With that, he let the door close behind him with a loud _thwap!_ He was a lower level representative for goblins and when they were in the privacy of the elevator again his superior clapped him sharply on the shoulder and exposed his large white teeth in a smile as everyone else congratulated and thanked him for speaking up. Lyla was exhilarated by the experience but knew that there would be some kind of reprimand in the boy's future. If she wasn't mistaken, Dolores Umbridge had been in one of the higher rows and she would not let Fudge let the sting of his embarrassment wash away without demanding reparations.

When the door dinged and opened onto their floor once more they all adjusted their eyes from the darkness of the Wizengamot room to the bright, freshness of their office. A few paces closer to their office Beth had bolted up from her desk and was now hobbling toward Lyla and Clive, waving a piece of parchment in her hand.

"Request from Hogwarts" she said in a gravelly voice, as she placed the message in Clive outstretched hand.

He place his other hand on her shoulder and guided her back to the office, both of them walking slowly. "There's no bit of news that's so important that you need to run a race to deliver it Beth" he chuckled "Just sit on back down at your desk now." He smiled at her, a twinkle in his eyes, as he unfolded the parchment she had given him.

His eyes darted back and forth as he read the word written in dark green ink, the corners of his mouth turned upwards the whole time. "Right then" he said, folding it again and turning to face Lyla, "You were personally requested by Dumbledore to leave for Hogwarts immediately to attend to the Fat Friar's Mist Rot."

Lyla furrowed her eyebrows and tilted her head to the side to indicate her confusion. "Me?" she asked, "Why me?"

"Do I look like Dumbledore, dear? I don't know! That man always has an inkling more than the rest of us." Clive winked at her. "Well" he exclaimed after her long silence, "off with you then! He's expecting you at five, just in time for dinner."

"Alright, alright," she said defeatedly "I guess it will be good to see Alicia...even if it is on a weekend."

Clive chuckled and put a hand to his stomach, "Tell her I said hello!" he called after her as she bent down to kiss Beth goodbye and headed toward the elevators again.


	11. Chapter 11

When she arrived back at her flat Lyla immediately grabbed a bright pink dufflebag that was strewn across her bed. Mist Rot cases typically took three or four days to resolve depending on the spector's degree of agitation or depression. It was a condition that presented itself in a stiffness around the edges of the ghost's form when the ghost was influenced by strong negative internal emotions. From what Lyla remembered about the Fat Friar he had a very wide spectrum of and and low threshold for intense emotions. He was most known for being overjoyed at all times and incredibly invested in the students of his house so, it was easy to imagine if something upset him it would take a stronger hold than on a different ghost.

She stuffed an array of outfits for her stay at Hogwarts into the bag, flicked her wand and they folded themselves, devoid of all wrinkles despite her messy handling of them. There wasn't time to send an owl to Alicia or Steven but she figured it would be much more exciting as a surprise. She did, however, send a letter to her mom, letting her know that she would be at Hogwarts for the weekend and that she would give her siblings a kiss for her.

Minutes after her bag was packed Lyla was stepping out onto the the stone floor of the fireplace tucked in a corridor off the Hogwarts' main stairway. Lyla turned out of the darkness of the hallway as the light from the fire she emerged from died out.

"They've been expecting you" the low drawl came from Flich who was standing at the opening of the corridor she emerged from.

Lyla jumped but quickly smiled at Flich, "You scared me you bag of bones!" Mrs. Norris hissed at her. "Hiiii cat!" Lyla squealed and bent down to pick Mrs. Norris up. Flich smiled grimly then quickly furrowed his brows and turned down the corners of his mouth as he led Lyla to the Headmaster's Chambers.

It had always been that Lyla was drawn to the things that scared her to learn what she could about them and quell her fear. That's why, when she came to school she would persistently chase Mrs. Norris to pet her and smile at Flich until they had warmed up to her. This unique approach to fear and quest for knowledge is what The Sorting Hat used to adeptly sort her into Ravenclaw so many years ago. The familiar walls, suits of armor and paintings she passed as she walked swiftly behind Filch, with Mrs. Norris begrudgingly purring in her arms, brought her back to that day, ten years ago, when she had set foot in the Great Hall for the first time.

_"A fear of the unknown" the hat had cooed snidely in her ear, "Innately causing you to crave information. Brave, that's sure; but uniquely so. Thought not driven by a logical intelligence alone but a whole-hearted approach. Strange, quite strange, it's sure you'd do well in RAVENCLAW!"_

"Here!" Filch croaked, rousing her from her reverence, as he gestured toward the staircase leading to Dumbledore's office. He grumpily took Mrs. Norris from Lyla's arms and turned to go.

"Bye Filchy! It was nice to see you again! See you soon" she waved at him and watched as his back straightened the little it could before he turned the corner, grumbling.

The stone stairs spun Lyla slowly upward until it opened to the rich warmth of Dumbledore's office. Across the carpeted floor Lyla looked out the windows as the sun was beginning to dip down over the horizon.

"Ahh" Dumbledore said softly, pushing his chair out from behind his desk and gathering his robes around him as he made his way toward her. "Ms. Murphy" he extended his hand and shook hers gently, smiling down at her over his half moon glasses. "So good of you to come. As it's late and we have a busy weekend ahead of us I implore you to do whatever you may need to see to our poor Fat Friar."

"Of course Professor," Lyla replied, tilting her head "I can get started as soon as you need. I know the First Task is tomorrow so I'll get out of your hair..."

He raised his hand politely as his knowing smile grew. "No, no. I'll hear no more of that tonight. I'm sure you'll have plenty to keep you busy tonight." He turned away from her and the hairs on the back of her head tingled. While she wasn't sure what he quite meant, aside from the possibility of spending time with her siblings, she had a feeling she would find out. "Now" he chimed, "unfortunately, I can't put you up in our guest tower for it's full of visitors we're housing during this first task. Would you mind spending this first night in your old dormitories with your sister? These gentlemen will be gone in a day or two so it shouldn't be that long."

"No, not at all!" she sighed, her eyes twinkling "That should be fun"

"Indeed." he replied, nodding at her and holding out a small silver bowl of brightly wrapped squares "Chocolate?" Lyla silently dove her hand into the bowl and plucked out a purple wrapped, raspberry-lemon chocolate morsel. Dumbledore chuckled, "You always were one to go in for anything. I'm glad your confidence in yourself hasn't wavered. I must say, however, I much prefer your hair its natural color." Lyla blushed and Dumbledore extended his hand toward the door, "Now, if you don't mind I need to change for dinner. I look forward to seeing you with your siblings in the Great Hall."

"See you then, Professor!" Lyla replied jovially as she took her leave.

From the Headmaster's Office she quickly made her way to Ravenclaw tower to change her clothes. It felt wholly unnatural to be walking these halls again in high heels and a pantsuit. After answering the riddle posed by the eagle door knocker she swung the door open and enter the cobalt common room of Ravenclaw. She breathed in the smell of old books and freshly waxed mahogany and walked past the students within authoritatively as they examined her inquisitively. When she was up in the First Year Girls' Dormitory she looked around at the faint light from the lanterns that shimmered against the blue canopies.

No one was in the room so Lyla flung her bag onto the bed that was clearly Alicia's, evidenced by the family picture hanging next to the headboard. She kicked her heels off under the bed and let her slacks slide down her legs onto the floor. As the days marched on it was getting cooler during the day and downright cold at night. So, she grabbed her slate gray cotton leggings and pulled their tight fabric over her toned calves and thighs with her back against the armoire to keep her from losing her balance. Then, she pulled a black racerback on over her head, the contact with the fabric dragging her high ponytail lower on her head. She simultaneously slid her feet into a pair of brown, leather army boot and took the elastic out of her hair and wove her fingers through the braid at the back of her head to free that interlocked tendrils.

Before leaving to go down to dinner Lyla tucked her wand in her boot and grabbed an oversized, cable knit sweater as she headed out the door. She pulled the soft wool over her head when the eagle sealed door to the common room snapped shut behind her. The rich cream color of the woven fabrics stood out against her lightly bronzed skin and the sweater rested comfortably at her midthigh. While descending the main staircase toward the Great Hall, Lyla hoisted the ends of her sleeves into the crooks of her elbows and shook her hair back from her face. As she did that the top of her shirt slid down off her shoulder, exposing the back of her tank and her golden dragon flicking its tongue at though attempting to smell the familiar air.

"Woo!" she huffed as she got to the landing below. Despite the fact that she kept in good shape she didn't remember the stairs being quite so steep at Hogwarts and she was out of breath.

"Too many Glacial Snow Flakes, Murphy?" a brisk female voice called to her.

Lyla spun around to see the tall, distinguished witch looking at her through the glasses perched at the tip of her nose. "Professor McGonagall!" Lyla squealed, running over to the woman; who tensed up when Lyla pulled her into a tight hug, pressing their cheeks together.

"Get-get off...MURPHY!" Minerva yelled, drawing all eyes that weren't already on the strange encounter between the young woman and their most tight buttoned teacher.

Lyla obediently let the professor go, snickering loudly, and draped her arm over McGonagall's shoulder causing the corner of her mouth to twitch with unwelcome amusement. "Oh, come on Professor! Is that any way to greet your favorite student?"

"You were never my favorite" McGonagall scoffed primly, shoving Lyla away from her.

Lyla smiled down at her feet and followed Minerva into the Great Hall. "How's Steven doing?" she asked

"Incredibly well in Charms, naturally." McGonagall responded warmly "He does quite enjoy making muggle objects do things they're not supposed to do. It's clearly harmless but it's nice to see he has some direction...at least one of the Murphy childrens' 'rebellious' phase is not an ongoing plague on this school." She cleared her throat suggestively and darted her eyes toward Lyla, her lips becoming thinner as she suppressed a sly smile. Lyla rolled her eyes and chuckled. "By the way" Minerva continued as the pair reached the far end of the hall "I think there might be someone you might like to see-"

"LYLA!" Minerva's sentence was cut short when a small animal slammed into Lyla, its arms hugging her tightly. Lyla didn't even see Alicia coming and didn't register who she was before the impact but when she looked down at her sister's beaming face she smiled back.

"Hello pixie!" she said, waving goodbye to Minerva as Alicia pulled her down the row to where she was sitting at Ravenclaw table.

"These are my friends!" Alicia began, excitedly point to each one as she introduced them to Lyla. "That's Merry," a blonde girl with deep-set blue eyes and a wide jaw waved, "that's Jayla" a petite girl with dark, curly hair and deep brown freckles accenting the brown skin underneath smiled shyly. Lyla was also introduced to a pair of blonde fraternal twins named Riley and Rylee, a thin Japanese boy with square glasses named Eito, and a tall, broad girl named Jess. "And this is my sister Lyla!"

Lyla settled onto the bench next to her sister after she sat down and smiled at everyone. "Hi there" she said, kindly

"She's going to be staying in our room tonight!"

"You knew about that Leesh?" Lyla asked, looking down at her sister

"Yeah, our head girl told us this afternoon to make sure it would be alright with everyone."

"Ahh, well that's good. It ruined the surprise though!"

Shortly after the group had buttered the rolls in front of them and filled their cups with juice, Steven came and sat with his sisters in lieu of his friends at the Hufflepuff table. Alicia talked mostly to her friends about what Lyla was doing here and what her job entailed, giving Lyla little chance to interject.

When the silver plates had been cleared for the second time and the platters in front of them blossomed with desserts two familiar boys walked up behind Steven and Lyla and put a hand on their shoulders.

"Ello mate!" one of the Weasley twins said

"Nice to see you again, Lyla" the other chimed.

"Is it true you're here to take Peeves to the slammer?"

"Nah, I heard she was here to perform surgery on Nick!"

Lyla's face broke into a huge smile as she and Steve laughed. "What are you boys up to then?" she inquired

"We are in the business of delivering secret messages and you, my dear, are our next target!" one twin said as the other presented a rolled piece of parchment bound with a yellow ribbon and a red seal stamped with a dragon on it.

Lyla furrowed her brows with suspicion as she took it from the boys. "What is it?"

"Well, if we told you that we wouldn't be very good at our business then!" The two laughed musically as the bounded back toward the Gryffindor table and calling dramatic goodbyes to Steven.

Lyla looked at both of her siblings incredibly confused before popping open the dragon seal and unrolling the parchment to reveal a crudely drawn map.


	12. Chapter 12

At the top of the map it read, in familiar handwriting, 'Discover the secrets of the First Task and you will know the truth of this maps origin.'

"Gotta go!" Lyla proclaimed, abruptly standing up from the table, and kissing her siblings' heads before rushing out of the Great Hall.

She exited swiftly through the doors opposite the Great Hall and pulled the sleeves of her sweater down to grasp them in her hands after entering the cold, night air. She walked briskly across the grounds but didn't run, she was captivated as warm mist from her breath hung in the air and the stillness of the lake was broken only by the gentle listing of the Durmstrang ship.

She unfurled the parchment once again and examined it shrewdly in the moonlight. There was a childish drawing of the lake on the far right side of the map with a Viking ship and a mermaid tail sticking up from it. The winding dashed line that represented the course Lyla was to follow veered away from the lake toward Hagrid's hut. She began dutifully walking in that direction, wrapping her arms around her shoulders, holding her sweater to keep it from sliding off as the night grew darker and the temperature colder. When a large, powder blue carriage came into view, Lyla consulted the map again and saw an oddly shaped object with three wheels and what was probably the French flag planted outside of it. Lyla chuckled at the humor and turned away from Hagrid's hut, past the Beauxbatons' carriage and continued toward the Forbidden Forest where there was an 'X' marked on some ambiguous spot along the treeline.

"Charlie!" Lyla called in a hushed voice as she walked along the trees, peering into the forest. "Charlie!" she called again, a playful grin dancing across her face, "Char-"

"RAWR!"

"AHHHHHH! SON OF A GRINDYLOW!"

"Shhhh sh sh" Charlie hissed, laughing hysterically and putting his hand over Lyla's mouth.

Lyla beat her fists against his chest and her shirt had slid down her arm again. "You are insane, do you know that?" she asked, pushing him away from her when he bent down to kiss her exposed shoulder.

He simply spread his arms and shrugged while his body continued to shake with laughter. "Oh, oh, come on. Come here." He wrapped his arms tightly around her and looked down at her.

"What are you even doing here?" Lyla asked, pouting flirtatiously

Charlie's eyes twinkled mischievously "Come and see." He grabbed her by that hand and led her around the edge of the forest to a clearing on the lake, hidden by the thick trees that extended around it.

"Oh my Merlin" Lyla gasped, squeezing Charlie's hand and pressing her body against his hard, rough arm.

Charlie stared down at her and watched the fire reflecting off her gaze turn her eyes a dangerous shade of green. Her chest heaved at an increased rate and he felt her hand become clammy in his. "They're for the first task" he whispered, "We brought mothers from Romania...I'm not quite sure why they wanted mothers but..."

"Can I..." Lyla swallowed and trailed off darting her eyes from Charlie's to the dragons

"Oh yeah!" he said, excitedly guiding her closer toward the dragons. "I can't let you too close" he explained apologetically "That would be a lot of paperwork."

Lyla smiled in response to his humor and continued staring at the dragons. They were riled up, screeching and huffing at the handful of handlers around the pen who were fortifying the binds on them that kept them land bound.

"HEY CHAR-LAY!" a deep, booming voice called from in front of the dragons "You takin a piss or are you gunna actually work?!"

Charlie shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Stay here" he said softly before jolting back to his colleagues and grabbing hold of a line attached to the Swedish Short-Snout and pulled it downward.

Lyla settled onto a large boulder near where Charlie had left her and watched as the broad, sleeveless men wrangled the dragons. Charlie's skin appeared to be the lightest of the group and it gleamed in the light of the nearby fire. His shirt was spoiled with sweat and dirt that Lyla supposed had resulted in a few falls while subduing the frightened dragons. She watched as his knees bent and his heels dug into the ground as though his thick legs were taking root while his arms flexed, etching deep valleys in his glistening skin; unveiling muscles that Lyla never knew even existed on the human body. What Lyla noticed, more than anything else, though, was the smile on Charlie's face: it was an enigma and wholly indescribable. His eyes suggested instinctual concentration while his wide, crooked smile indicated mischievous exhilaration. The sweat pouring from beneath his hairline gave Lyla the impression that, in addition to the strenuous labor he was engaged in, that he was a little scared. Then, there were the words coming out of his mouth, being tossed between him and his colleagues, that were incredibly foul; shouted in a tone that could shake the earth.

Lyla pulled her sweater tightly around her form as she shivered, but not from the cold. From watching Charlie she was completely captivated and, she noticed as the feeling stirred in her chest, a little scared. This was not the little Charlie Weasley she remembered growing up. Even after that night they spent talking it was this moment that Lyla realised who he really was.

_As the second oldest Weasley sibling, following after the extroverted and intriguing Bill, Charlie was a quiet introvert and slight in stature. If Lyla had never met him on that first train ride into Hogwarts, she probably never would've noticed him. Between the two of them there had been enough tension and uncertainty in that train car that she could taste it. While Lyla had always been incredibly outgoing she had spent the beginning of the train ride nervously thinking about Hogwarts and avoiding all eye contact with the red headed stranger across from her. It was right after the food trolley had passed that Charlie had done something very uncharacteristic and initiated conversation with Lyla. _

_"You nervous too?" Charlie asked, his voice cracking_

_At first Lyla looked at him defensively but, when she saw his blue eyes innocently staring back at her she took a deep breath and admitted: "Yeah I am!"_

_"My brother is a third year and he's told me the most horrible things. My mum says they're not true but..." he looked down at his feet_

_"My sister is a third year too! My dad says the only thing she's told me that is true is that in order to get into all the houses you have to stick your hand into a whole that could have bugs or candy floss in it and you'll never know which!"_

_"Nah!" Charlie scoffed, blushing and smiling back at Lyla "That can't be true!"_

_"I don't know" she replied nervously. After a few silent seconds she spoke again, shifting in her seat "What house do you think you'll be in?"_

_At this, Charlie sighed. "I don't know. My family have been in Gryffindor for years and years but...I don't know I just don't think I have what it takes, you know, bravery and chivalry and all that. Maybe Hufflepuff."_

_"Well" Lyla whispered, comfortingly, "they say that the Sorting Hat knows us better than we know ourselves. I'm sure that with two parents from Gryffindor you have been given the qualities of one as well!" Charlie half smiled in response but still remained uncertain. "At least you have an idea from your family tree! Mine is all over the place. My mum was a Hufflepuff and my dad was a Gryffindor but my sister was sorted into Ravenclaw, like my uncle. I don't think we have any Slytherins in our family though, so I'm not worried too much about that...kinda" _

_"Nah" Charlie said again, "even if I'm not in Gryffindor, I know for sure that, due to my strong family line, I have been passed down the gift of..." he paused dramatically "being able to sniff out any and all Slytherins that cross my path!"_

_Lyla squealed with laughter as Charlie snuck his nose up into the air and sniffed loudly before breaking down into hysterics as well._

_It was his endearingness and sense of humor that bound them together in friendship instantly. It was the disappearance of her father one year later that fixed them in each other's lives permanently_

"Lyla! Lyla!" Charlie called up to her. She jolted and took notice of the quiet that had fallen over the forest. "Lyla, come meet my mates!" he waved her over to him, jovially.

She skipped down toward the group, smiling brightly. She slowed to a stop next to Charlie and waved at the group of men standing around her.

"Okay, so, everyone this is my old friend Lyla, and, Lyla, this is Javier," A strikingly handsome Brazilian man with dark hair and piercing dark eyes made intense by an iridescent white scar through his eyebrow winked and nodded his dimpled chin toward Lyla. "Dorin"

"I've heard a lot about you" Lyla said shaking the hand of an incredibly tall man of African descent who wasn't wearing a shirt, which exposed the metallic grey and milky white tattoo of the Worm of Linton coiled on the right side of his lower abdomen, slithering up his torso.

"As I have yew" Dorin replied in a harsh Scottish accent, smiling robustly at her but examining her warily with his eyes.

"This is Meg" Charlie continued gesturing to the person standing beside Dorin.

Lyla focused on Meg and noticed that the mounds underneath the sweaty shirt were breasts as opposed to bulging pectorals and that Meg's hair was pulled tightly into a French Braid down the back of her neck that made her look like she had short hair. "Oh!" Lyla exclaimed, rather rudely, when she put two and two together. She cleared her throat and extended her hand, "Nice to meet you."

"Yeh ahm a bird." Meg said in response to Lyla's apparent shock. She returned Lyla's handshake forcefully, squeezing unnecessarily hard when she spoke again, staring at Lyla the whole time. "So dis da bird you fink luv ya beck o sum nunsense, den?" Lyla blushed with anger and wrenched her hand from Meg's grasp. Meg scoffed triumphantly and turned her gaze on an embarrassed and seething Charlie, "She smoll." Meg turned to walk away and a few of the men followed her back to where they had set up a drinking station by the lake.

Lyla looked up at Charlie with her eyebrows raised and an expression that read "...the FUCK she say to me?!" Charlie grabbed Lyla's wrist and squeezed it roughly, imploring her with his eyes to let it go.

Dorin appraised Lyla bemusedly, "Yer quite a fiery one" he commented "I can see why ahr Charley likes ya so...in ahr line of work its hard not to be drawn to a flame." He winked subtly at Charlie and brought the rest of the group over to the shoreline as well.

Charlie's grasp had relaxed on her wrist and he was rubbing the back of her hand with his rough thumb, the sharp pieces of callus scratching her smooth skin in silence.

Lyla stared at the moon bouncing off the various ripples in the lake, past the group conversing loudly. She thought about Charlie working with the dragons, who were now conscious but calm, and how it had frightened her a little bit. Then she focused on his hard, rugged hand touching her gently when just a minute ago it could've broken her wrist. "Charlie?" she blurted "You could hurt me." He dropped her hand, as though worried that he was. "Like you could really hurt me." she grabbed both of his hands back in hers and ran her hands over his raw skin. She dug her thumb into an open scrape on his palm and watched his face when he didn't even flinch. Then, she ran her hands up his arms, tracing old burns and scars with her delicate fingers and squeezing his muscles all the way up to his shoulders. "I can't believe how strong you are...you could even hurt me by accident!" She was rambling now.

"What the-" Charlie began, squinting in confusion

"You could..." she continued, her breath slowing. "but you wouldn't. You wouldn't hurt me, or anyone really." she sighed

"Especially not you" he said pleadingly, enclosing her hands in his and bending his head down to look her straight in the eyes. "What are you even going on about?"

"I don't know" she said, smiling bashfully, "I was just thinking about the day we met. You were skinny like a noodle then." He feigned offense and she chuckled. "And you told me that you thought you would be a Hufflepuff because you weren't strong or brave or chivalrous." She stared into his eyes. "I think that bravery is knowing the vast extent of your strength" she rubbed his upper arms and drew her hips into his "but having the control to use it when it's necessary and not just because you have it." Her eyes trailed down to his lips and she abruptly kissed him.

When she pulled away Charlie smirked and said, "Spoken like a true Ravenclaw." he pulled her sweater back onto her shoulder. "I know who I am," he pulled her body close to his, his hand pressing gently between her shoulder blades, "Good of you to catch up."

She shoved his shoulder playfully; rolling her eyes. "I just needed time to see, I guess." she exhaled purposefully. "I'm still - I still...you know. I don't know...can't quite."

"Hey!" he said casually, "I go back to Romania tomorrow. You'll be back in London. We live worlds away and no one is expecting you to do anything."

"Wellllll" she said playfully, running her hands down his back and onto his firm buttox, "we can do something..."

He chuckled and pulled his rear away from her grasp, "I can't" he whispered, resting his head against hers. "I'm expecting Hagrid soon. He wanted to see the dragons." Lyla pouted and wrinkled her nose. "Come on, we'll go sit with everyone. I want you to get to know them."

"I don't think they all want to get to know me." Lyla replied viciously

"Don't mind Meg" Charlie said, his tone calm but his body suddenly stiffened. He smiled over at her and pecked her on the cheek then took her hand and started walking toward the shoreline where the group was sitting around a fire.


	13. Chapter 13

When Lyla woke up the next morning she was wearing the same clothes as the night before, minus the sweater and one sock. Her leg was hanging off the bed she was sharing with her sister and she was drooling into her hair. She tried to open her eyes to the sunlit room as her brain pounded against the back of her eyeballs but she had left her eyeliner on all night and they were incredibly itchy and felt like they were on fire. Alicia had noticed her stirring, however, and instantly sat up in bed beside Lyla and shook her into semi-consciousness.

"Lyla!" Alicia whispered, nudging her in the arm. "You got home late! Where were you? Are you coming to the First Task today? I'm sure Dumbledore will be alright with you starting work tomorrow!"

"Ugggggg" Lyla moaned, rubbing her temples. "Pixie, I love you, but right now I can't answer that many questions." She sat up slowly

"Are you...hungover?" Alicia asked uncertainly.

"Yes, little one" Lyla replied, patting her sister on the back. "Yes. One day...you will understand. I have to go see Professor Snape. I'll meet you down at breakfast." She kissed her sisters head slowly and struggled to get out of bed.

She didn't clean her face, put her sweater back on or put her shoes on. She just walked as quickly as she could to the Dungeons before the rest of Hogwarts began to stir and come down for breakfast. When she was just about to turn down the staircase to the dungeons she caught something strange out of the corner of her eye.

"Friar?" she said warily as she approached the figure

"Yes?" he replied jovially, turning to face her. When he saw her his face froze comically. "I-I'm cured!" he exclaimed, waving his arms and shaking his robes at her.

Lyla narrowed her stinging eyes at his edges "You don't even have Mist Rot!"

"Nope!" he said nervously, still smiling. "All better. What's that Nick?" he cupped his hand around his ear as though listening to someone far off. "Coming!" And with that he floated quickly through a wall.

"Urggg!" Lyla groaned as she continued down to the dungeons, this mini mystery making her head pound even more. When she reached the door of Professor Snape's office she rapped her knuckles against it softly. Without an answer she tried knocking again.

Snape opened the door and pursed his lips when he took in her appearance. "Miss Murphy" he looked her up and down and drawled, sarcastically, "lovely." He turned into his office leaving the door open for her to follow as he began rummaging through his glass bottles. He returned to her with a small tin of Burning Bitterroot Balm and two small vials of Invigoration Draught. "Rub this on your temples" he said, holding up the balm, "and drink this with a large breakfast." He put the potions in her cupped hands.

"Thank you so much, Professor." she said genuinely, then smiled and narrowed her eyes at him. "You're a lot nicer than you were in school."

He scowled at her and began closing the door; forcing her out. "Give the other vial to that Weasley of yours." The door snapped shut.

Lyla moved so fast that when she arrived back in her sister's dormitory at Ravenclaw Tower before they had gone down to breakfast.

"We'll wait for you!" Alicia yelled in her sister's ear before bounding down the stairs to the common room.

"Little bugger" Lyla murmured to herself as she clutched her head.

After a quick but thorough shower Lyla massaged the Bitterroot into her temples and felt its soothing effects, paired with the calming steam from her shower, work instantly on her headache. She put on a white bra under a white lace bralette and slipped into a pair of floral leggings with a white background and an array of brightly colored peonies and tea roses. While she slipped into the same leather boots she was wearing last night she slid into a western style Chambray shirt that she buttoned up to right below her bralette. When she was finished weaving her damp hair into a loose french braid she dug out a pair of dark, round, turtle shell sunglasses, slipped them over her eyes and headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

She plopped down next to her brother who was sitting with Alicia at the Ravenclaw table and piled her plate with greasy breakfast meats and toasts covered in jam. After eating a slice with strawberry jam and two sausage links she popped the stopper out of the Invigorating Draught and swallowed it in one gulp.

"So!" Alicia squealed finally after giving her sister time to settle in. "Who was the mysterious note from?"

"An old friend from school who is here for the first task too," Lyla swigged down some orange juice. "Charlie Weasley, you met him, remember?"

"Oh yeah" Alicia said, "Like Fred and George's brother. Why is he here?"

Lyla winked at her sister, "You'll have to wait until the first task to seem I guess"

"Oh gosh I'm so excited!" Alicia said and her friends twittered in agreement.

Alicia wasn't the only one excited. The Great Hall was completely abuzz with anticipation. Fred and George Weasley were loudly taking bets from on top of the Gryffindor table but as Lyla's eyes travelled down the table to Harry Potter she saw him pale and forlorn and found it odd that he wasn't sitting with Ron.

"Not everyone is" Steven said jutting his jaw behind him toward Cedric Diggory who was an odd shade of green and was staring at the eggs on his plate.

"Do you think you'll be able to watch too?" Alicia asked Lyla

"IIIII don't know" she replied, recalling vaguely her run in with the Fat Friar. "Excuse me." She stood up and strode toward the front table where the Headmaster was sitting.

"Oh Miss Murphy!" Dumbledore said welcoming her with a gesture "Good morning, good morning! Will you be joining us down at the first task."

"That's actually what I can to ask you about, sir. I saw the Fat Friar this morning and..."

"Ohhh" he said, holding his hand up and nodding softly "Forgive me for overreacting. When I voiced my concerns to a mutual acquaintance of ours he very fervently suggested I bring you in, even as a precaution." He gazed over his half moon glasses at her with a knowing twinkle in his eye then straightened up in his chair, "It's not every day that we have dragons on our campus. It's best to get as much of them as we can." He winked and nodded at her in polite dismissal, "See you at the first task then, Miss Murphy. Good morning."

"Good morning" she replied as she returned back to her table in shock and confusion.

"Can you come then?" Alicia asked excitedly

"Yeah" Lyla breathed, "Yeah I can"

"Ooh! I can't wait" she squealed

"I bet the Durmstrang lot are already there" Steven scoffed. "Probably got the best seats."

"Hey" Lyla furrowed her brows "This tournament is about unity" She tore a slice of bacon in half and bared her teeth at her brother comically.

Halfway through breakfast Harry and Cedric were lead of the Great Hall by Barty Crouch and the excitement was replaced with hushed whispers.

When Lyla finished her breakfast of protein and carbohydrates she turned to her siblings. "Lets get down there a little early and see what Charlie is up to."

"Yeah!" Steven said, "I'll ask the twins too." He sprinted off toward the Gryffindor table.

"Um, I'm going to go down with my friends actually." Alicia replied, twirling her hair in her finger.

"Okay Miss Thang" Lyla said and flicked her glasses down off her head and over her eyes as she, Steven, Ginny, and a sullen Ron headed down to the arena together while Fred and George stayed back to continue taking bets.

Down by the Quidditch pitch there was a new wood structure set up made of thick, dark wood and taller than the Quidditch Pitch even was.

"Hey! You're not supposed to be here yet, go back and wait for the rest of the school to come - Oh! Hi Lyla!"

She turned around at the sound of her name and saw another one of Charlie's friends. Taylor was American and had perpetually tan skin, dirty blonde hair and light blue eyes. "Hi!" she said in greeting and gave him a hug. "This is my brother." she pat Steven on the shoulder, "And these are Charlie's siblings."

"Oh yeah, I recognise you guys!" he said shaking Ron and Ginny's hands. "Well Charlie's in the back with the dragons but-"

"Dragons?!" Steven blurted in amazement

"Shh" Lyla and Ginny scolded

Taylor chuckled. "Yeah, anyway we all have to sit pretty close to switch the dragons out and in case anything goes wrong. You all" he gestured at the Weasleys and Steven "can probably sit close by." He led the group into the arena and up a small flight of stairs to the right. There was a long bench twelve feet off the rocky ground, an easy height for the strong dragon tamers to swiftly lower themselves down to the ground.

"He-ey you guys!" Charlie said in surprise as he rounded around the corner on the ground below the risers. He turned quickly around and bolted up the stairs then scooped his sister up in his arms and spun her around, he gave his brother a side hug and ruffled his hair after putting Ginny back on her feet. "Steven" he said warmly, shaking Steven's hand "Nice to see you again" He was squinting painfully, shielding his eyes from the sun.

"Oh!" Lyla exclaimed, Charlie's stance reminding her. She reached in her small chest pocket and pulled out the vial of Invigoration Draught. "From Professor Snape" she handed it to Charlie, "for, uh..." she tapped on her sunglasses and smiled.

"Oh great!" Charlie said, taking it from her grasp and downing it.

"Looks like the gang's all here!" Ronin called from the floor of the arena with the rest of the Romanian team.

Charlie saluted his friend and turned back to his family. "People are going to start coming soon. We have to be back there and wait for them to tell us which to bring out. I'll see you all later though!" He turned and vaulted over the railing to join his friends.

The group had settled in on the benches when they heard a wave of noise coming in from the castle. Soon, the whole stadium was filled with cheering crowds of students. After a couple of long-winded speeches from Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch, Dumbledore stood up and simply said, "With this test of daring we will begin the Triwizard Tournament and may every participant have the best of luck." As soon as he finished speaking a large door in the far side of the arena opened and a snarling Swedish Short-Snout was led through after a handful of tamers carrying large dragons eggs, one of them painted gold. When the dragon was safely in the middle of the arena, hovering over the eggs protectively, the group of dragon tamers bolted to their seats, Charlie in the lead.

He slid onto the bench, smoothly wrapping his arm around Lyla's waist but kept his keen eyes focused on the dragon. "Heard a rumor that Cedric's first." As he said that a much smaller door opened and Cedric walked out into the arena. First, he stared around the arena at the crowd that had fallen silent except for a few hoots and hollers.

"She'll catch him in her sights soon" Charlie whispered to Lyla. She couldn't see Cedric's face but she imagined his eyes were darting around the arena trying to formulate a plan. After agonizing silence in which the Short-Snout sniffed intensely around the eggs she spied Cedric in the corner of the arena and screeched at him then breathed a jet of fire in his direction. He swiftly dodged out of the way and fell on the rough boulders around him. He kept his body low and crawled away from the dragon.

At this point Lyla was perched on the edge of her seat, chills running up her spine and her nails digging into Charlies other hand. When Cedric stumbled and knocked a rock free, making a sound that drew the Short-Snout in his direction. Lyla and the rest of the onlookers gasped as the dragon dove toward Cedric and snapped its jaw, just inches from his foot. He quickly scrambled onto his feet and ran to the other side of the arena throwing spells over his shoulder at the dragon as he did. When he was crouched, again, behind a boulder and out of the dragons line of view he stuck his head over it, pointed his wand at another boulder and turned it into a Border Collie. The dog barked and ran away from Cedric, causing the mama dragon to pursue. With the dragons back turn Cedric bolted for the pile of eggs and scooped up the golden one. He steadied it in his grasp and kept running toward the door he entered through. At the last moment, though, the dragon rounded on Cedric, picking the bigger of two targets to focus on and breathed fire yet again. This time, Cedric was not as lucky and the side of his face was burned.

Lyla screamed and Charlie jumped up and over the wall with the rest of his comrades. The subdued the dragon and escorted the unconscious scaly mass out the large door, one of the team members staying behind to help the wounded Cedric to a medical center.

When the team returned with a Common Welsh Green, Charlie's shirt was torn down the front. As he bounded back into his seat next to Lyla she saw the red blood around the tear and one thin gash in his left pectoral.

"What happened?!" she asked standing up and touching his chest.

"Nah," he said, "This is nothing. The Chinese Fireball grazed me is all. Oi!" he called down to Javier who tossed him a small container. Charlie picked his shirt up and pulled the hem behind his neck, fully exposing his chest, opened the contained and rubbed the grass green balm on the gash in his chest. Lyla watched as the red opening turned into a sinewy, white line but then her gaze moved to his right pectoral where there was an Antipodean Opaleye with an aquamarine hue to its pearlescent scales.

Lyla softly drew a circle around the dragon with her finger and looked up at Charlie, "When did you get this?" she asked

"Same night you did" he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"What?" she replied, shocked, "You were there that night?"

"Of course I was" he laughed, pulling his shirt back down over his body. In the background Fleur Delacour was doing something with the dragon that caused the crowd to gasp but Lyla didn't know what because she was enthralled with this new piece of information. "Everyone was there that night."

The their second to last night on the Hogwarts campus all of the seventh years had gathered in a shallow part of the Forbidden Forest, made a bonfire out of their copies of Hogwarts: A History, drank, danced and, thanks to an incredibly talented and artistic group of black-sheep Slytherins, some got tattoos. Lyla was mortified at the prospect of Charlie being there because, that night, she and her two best friends had taken off all their clothes except for their bras and underwear and danced around the fire with paint on their face and body that represented their house colors. She had then run into the clearing where people were getting tattoos and demanded a golden dragon. She fell asleep face down on the forest floor while she was getting the tattoo and didn't wake up until the next morning.

"I was getting mine when you burst through the trees and demanded yours." he continued

"Well that's really bloody embarrassing"

"Oh come on Lye, no one expected 'The Triplets' to be tame especially at a party like that. Least of all me."

"Ohhhh my gosh" Lyla said, covering her mouth as she began laughing hysterically. "I have not heard that phrase in a long, long time."

Charlie chuckled, "Yeah! The Triplets: the girls who got closest to the Shrieking Shack, the girls who would make outfits for Mrs. Norris and set her out wearing them, the girls who dressed as professors for Halloween and followed them around mimicking their every move. Remember," he started laughing, "Remember that like two week period when you were all really mad at each other and kept changing each other's hair color and every bit of food you tried to eat into flower petals."

"Hey," Lyla laughed, shoving him "I lost like seven pounds in those two weeks."

"Yeah because you were starving one another. I remember Rebecca was stuffing her face every second she could in the common room where neither of you could get at her."

"Sounds pretty accurate. Alaysia and I would lock ourselves in the bathroom to eat. I think the only real reason we made up is because we had weakened one another."

Before Charlie could talk he was up over the wall again, putting the Common Welsh Green back to sleep as Fleur slipped back through the door she came through. When they returned with the Chinese Fireball Charlie was slightly out of breath when he sat back down and rested his elbows on the bench behind them.

"Aguamente" Lyla muttered, holding her wand over his face. It poured a steady stream of water, washing away the sweat and he opened his mouth to take some in.

"Oh man" he huffed, shaking his head and spraying nearby people, Lyla included, with water. "I wish I wasn't just here for work."

"Yeah" Lyla replied, understandingly "I thought I was here for work but...I don't know. That Invigorating Draught may have taken my headache away but that doesn't mean I understand why I was called here when the Fat Friar is fine"

"Ohhhh oh no" Charlie said, laughing so hard he began wheezing

"What is so funny?!"

"I thought you were just here for the weekend because you felt like coming. I didn't think that Dumbledore would actually..."

"Actually what?" she said through his continuous laughter

"When I arrived he met me down at the lake and said it was a shame I wouldn't get much of a reunion and that it was a shame you lived so close and wouldn't be here while I was. I told him that your work keeps you busy and that I could relate. Then he said, 'Well then maybe I have a work related problem for her to solve.' And walked away." his laughter was incontrolable now.

Lyla sat in silence, her jaw hanging open. When she finally spoke it was slowly, "This morning he told me, 'It's not every day that we have dragons on our campus. It's best to get as much of them as we can'"

Charlie slapped his knee, his amusement overwhelming him. "Dumbledore really is the brightest wizard in the world." he said finally, his laughter stopping and his breath slowing.

They both turned their attention back to the saga between Viktor Krum and the Chinese Fireball. He was doing so kind of strange jump and roll thing between boulders for shelter, shooting any and all spells that came to his head when he thought he had a good shot. One finally hit the Fireball square in the face and she began stumbling around

"Oh no..." Charlie said, standing up slowly as his peers did the same

"Not a Conjunctivitis Curse you stupid bugger!" Dorin called into the arena

"Puta madre!" Javier yelled angrily shaking his fist.

But Krum didn't hear and as the dragon stumbled around blindly he grabbed the gold egg and ran back through the door, never looking back. When he disappeared from sight everyone on the bench next to Lyla ran as fast as they could to the Fireball. Some of them summoned an egg to their grasp and others tried to hit the dragon with a sleeping curse again but, they were too late - the dragon had already trampled over half the eggs there. When they had removed the curse and the dragon had realised what she did she let out a heartbreaking scream that died into oblivion as the sleeping curse overtook her. When they returned with the Hungarian Horntail there was nothing the Horntail could do because the whole team was using all the force they could due to the fact that they were all fuming mad. Charlie didn't sit as close to Lyla as he had been but instead turned his head down and the floor and rested his elbows on his knees. Lyla rested her head on his shoulder and rubbed his back.

When Lyla saw the semblance of a broom rocketing toward the arena she stood up and cheered as Harry hopped onto it and circled the Horntail's head. Charlie got to his feet too, in complete awe - along with the rest of the crowd, as Harry maneuvered his broom, scooped up the egg and headed toward the door. Before he could reach it the Horntail had brought his tail down close to Harry and sliced his upper arm open. He maintained control of the egg and swiftly exited the arena but was still injured.

After the scores were read and the three schools dismissed from the arena, Lyla circled around the back of the structure and met Charlie in the pen where they had the four sleeping dragons.

"Well," she sighed, "I guess you're on your way out then."

"Actually, some of us, myself included, are over our hour limit for weekly overtime so there should be some replacements here for those of us who are off duty. Dorin and Taylor are going into London but I was thinking of staying the night here and spending time with my family." he took her hands in his, "Maybe we can go down to the Hog's Head after dinner and get a drink?"

"Yeah" Lyla beamed, "can't wait." She stood on her toes and kissed him softly

Charlie put his hand behind her head and leaned into the kiss, forcefully pressing his lips against hers before pulling away.

"It was nice to meet you all!" Lyla called musically to the exhausted group. They smiled and waved at her as she turned and walked back to the castle.


	14. Chapter 14

After the excitement from the morning Lyla and the other first year Ravenclaws too a midday nap instead of going down to lunch with the rest of the school. Close to three o'clock Lyla was roused by an incessant clicking against the window pane. When she crossed to the window, groggily rubbing her eyes, she saw the enchanted stone that had been rapping against her window plummet to the ground where Charlie was standing. Lyla waved and pulled her shirt on over her bralette, leaving it unbuttoned and slipped her feet into her boots. When she landed in the Ravenclaw common room she almost knocked Professor Flitwick over.

"Ah, Miss Murphy!" he squeaked, "I'm to tell you you're free to move into the guest quarters if you'd like."

"Oh great, professor!" Lyla said and turned back up the stairs to collect her things and walked back down.

This time, when she exited the Ravenclaw common room she saw Charlie standing with his back against the wall across from the entry door, holding a bouquet of flowers which he handed to her.

Lyla laughed musically, "Professor Sprout know you have these?" she asked as she knocked some soil off the roughly chopped bottoms of the flowers. He shrugged innocently and strode next to her as she walked down the hall.

"Trying to run out on me?" he asked, plucking her large bag from her shoulder and slinging it over his own for her

"No, I'm just moving to the guest quarters. I love my sister but I don't love sharing a dormitory bed with her. I mean I don't really know why I'm still here since the Fat Friar is fine but..."

"Well, I think we can both stand one more night at our alma mater with our family."

"Yeah, I suppose." she chuckled. When they reached the guest quarters Charlie opened the door for her and flung her bag onto the couch by the door.

"Ohhh I missed you" Charlie groaned, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and nuzzling his stubbled chin into her neck. She put her hand against his other cheek and closed her eyes happily. "I'm exhausted" he glanced at the bed and walked them both over to it, silently laughing.

Lyla extended her arm to keep them from both falling on the mattress and turned around to face him. She slung her arms around his neck and looked up at him. "It should be dinner soon. Lets go see our families one last time."

"Ugggg" he groaned and followed her out the door holding onto her hand as they walked down to the Great Hall. He squeezed her hand when they emerged through the doors and separated to sit at their own perspective house tables.

Lyla felt rejuvenated in the warm glow of the candles hovering over the table. She and her siblings talked and laughed about something other than the Triwizard Tournament and she felt really connected and happy to be with them. All night she felt Charlie's eyes on her just as they had been in school, the only thing that was different was that Lyla's eyes were on him too.

At the lull in the meal before dessert appeared Lyla pulled her wand out of her boot and swished it in Charlie's direction, turning his hair teal. He remained unaware until he couldn't figure out why his siblings were snickering. Charlie's eyes raised to Lyla who flipped her hair and smiled, resting her chin in her hand. His eyes narrowed and the corner of his mouth pulled upward mischievously as he tapped his head with his wand, turning his hair back to red. When the dessert platters were full and Lyla's coffee was perfectly mixed she took a sip and reached for for a cake that abruptly turned into flower petals in her hand.

Alicia squeaked in shock and her and her friends started giggling. Lyla threw the handful of petals at her sister, who squealed even louder. She looked at Charlie, who was twirling his wand around in his fingers, and raised her eyebrow. Next thing he knew, the front of his shirt was drenched in water as though someone had poured a bucket down his front.

"OH!" Fred and George screamed in unison pointing at their brother. Charlie dried his shirt with his wand and flicked it at Lyla, comically elongating her nose. Lyla began laughing uncontrollably with her siblings and turned her nose back to normal. As soon as her nose was back to normal her wand flew out of her hand and above her head, just out of her grasp. She looked across from her and saw Charlie's wand was doing the same. Slowly, Lyla turned her head towards the head table and saw Professor Flitwick standing on his chair, wand extended, levitating Lyla's. Down the row, Professor McGonagall was doing the same to Charlie.

They both put their hands in the air in surrender, their bodies shaking with laughter. Their wands clattered onto their plates. Lyla tucked her wand back in her boot and went back to talking to her siblings and making faces at Charlie.

The Weasleys and the Murphys stayed in the Great Hall after everyone had left dinner. When the tables had thinned out the Weasleys walked over to the Murphys, following behind Charlie.

He sat down next to Lyla and held out his hand, "Truce?"

"Absolutely" she replied, shaking it, "You play much dirtier than fifteen year old me."

"I learned from the best" he winked at her and knocked his shoulder against hers.

The two families stayed up talking late into the night. The candles from the ceiling and the candelabras lining the walls flickered and cast each persons' long shadow. When Ginny's head started dipping downward with fatigue Charlie slapped Steven on the back and stood up from the table. Everyone else followed suit, Lyla and Alicia's arms wrapped around each other. Steven turned right outside the Great Hall to go down to the Hufflepuff common room. At the top of the grand staircase Charlie turned with his family to say goodbye at the Gryffindor common room and Lyla to tuck Alicia into bed before leaving.

"I'm so glad you came to Hogwarts this weekend" Alicia sighed as she rested her head on her sister's shoulder and they climbed the stairs slowly to Ravenclaw Tower.

"Me too" Lyla pressed her cheek to the top of her sister's head. When they reached Alicia's dormitory she kissed her sister goodnight. "I'll keep writing, okay? I'll see you soon"

"Walk you to your door my lady?" Charlie said when he met her outside of Ravenclaw Tower.

"Why yes good sir!" she said properly and hooked her arm with his. "I'm going to miss those little snots" They walked down the hall towards the guest quarters.

"Yeah," he sighed "It's tough."

"What's it like in Romania?"

"Beautiful. The camp is in the mountains and everything is either completely green or white. Everyone has their own cottage. It's not much but I love living so close to nature."

"That must be nice" Lyla sighed, resting her face on his chest.

"I'd love for you to see it some time." He opened the door for Lyla and hovered outside it, watching Lyla in the moonlight as she kicked off her shoes and peeled her Chambray shirt off letting it fall to the floor.

She reached her hand out the door and grabbed Charlie by the front of his shirt and pulled him into the room, letting the door close behind him. She stood on her toes and kissed Charlie, breathing his smell in deeply as his hands ran up her back.

"What are you doing?" Charlie's voice broke with raspiness

"What we didn't get to do last night" she said quickly, unbuttoning his pants and letting them fall to the floor next to her shirt.

"We were drunk last night" he said as he ran his lips down her neck and onto her collar bone, his strong, rough hands pushing her leggings down over her hipbones.

"So?" she said, running her hands up his chest and pulling his shirt off over her head.

Charlie slammed her forcefully into the bedpost, cradling her neck in his hand so she wouldn't hit her head. Lyla reached over her head and grabbed the bedpost with one hand as Charlie sucked, licked and kissed down her body until he was kneeling in front of her and he had pulled her leggings down around her ankles. He pulled them off completely, threw them over his shoulder and stood back up to face her. She clenched her hand tightly around the top of the bedpost as she and Charlie stared at one another, their chests heaving in rhythm together.

It was so quiet that the only thing they could hear aside from their heavy breathing was the soft croaking of the frogs on the bank of the lake below. His eyes were grey in the moonlight and hers were like emeralds in a dark cave. Sweat had started to pool in the shallow pocket created by his defined collar bones. His chest and stomach were made of solid muscle, the lines that defined his abdomen deep and rugged. His upper back muscles flexed underneath Lyla's hand resting on his shoulder as he cupped his hand under her ass and brought her up higher in front of him. Sliding his hand underneath her bralette to the massage the fabric covered breasts below he then pulled her bralette off over her head leaving them both solely in their underwear. He ran his finger from Lyla's lower lip to right below her belly button, exploring the canyon between her breasts and navigating the faint lines that defined her stomach.

His fingertips rested right below her belly button, vibrating with anticipation. It felt like an eternity that they just looked at one another until Lyla whispered, "Charlie..." At that he grabbed the front of her thong and pulled it down her thighs.

"Ah!" she moaned in a high pitched tone when her underwear hit the floor. Charlie grabbed her by the hips and threw her onto the bed. His fingers dug into the flesh of her buttox to push her up towards the headboard. Charlie got to his knees and elbows on top of her, hovering over her stomach which he then bent down to kiss, moving his mouth downward, closer and closer to the hot, wet opening between her legs. "What are you doing?!" she said nervously, pushing him away from her by putting her foot on his chest.

He chuckled and tilted his head in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"Why are you all the way down there?" she asked, blushing embarrassedly.

Charlie put his chin on her stomach and looked up at her, "You're kidding right?" He looked as the red in her cheeks deepened then smiled and stroked the soft skin of her side. Then, he raised his body off her, propping himself up with his hands, the muscles in his arms flexing. When he spoke his voice was soft and intimidating, "I'm gunna take care of you."

In the split second it took for Charlie to dive between her legs Lyla's stomach churned with trepidation. Just as rapidly as the feeling overtook her it was gone when Charlie's tongue broke through the lips of her vagina and made contact with her throbbing clitoris.

"Ohhhhh" Lyla moaned, losing control of her body and falling backward onto the bed, her arms collapsing from under her. Her back arched and hips squirmed underneath the pressure of Charlie's head easing into her even more, his tongue rolling her clit around in his mouth.

He put his hand on her stomach and dragged his fingers down toward her leg that was, unintentionally, pushing Charlie's head to the side. He grabbed her thigh roughly and pushed it back down on the bed, pinning her leg down by the knee. With her legs spread farther he plunged his tongue into her, roving around within, learning every curve he could reach.

Lyla pulled her bra off as it began to constrict her aroused and bulging breasts. Charlie's eyes were fixed on her face while his tongue lapped up the sweet juice coming from inside her as she became more and more turned on. When her bra was off he reached his hand up towards her smooth, supple mound and caressed it, rubbing his thumb over her stiff nipple. Lyla was so euphoric that she couldn't even register or understand the sounds coming out of her mouth. She gripped whatever part of Charlie she could reach and dug her nails into his skin. When she raked them across his back he winced in pain then sat up on his knees, wiped his face with the back of his hand and pulled Lyla's hips down toward him again.

She was breathing heavily, the after effects of his tongue pulsing through her body and watched him as he pulled his boxers off. She sat up on her elbows again and backed up when she saw his erect penis. It must've been seven inches long but was very thick. Lyla brought herself even closer to Charlie by sitting up completely and wrapping her arms around her knees. She stared at him while she reached out and wrapped her hand around it.

He took in a deep breath that rattled in his chest and closed his eyes when she squeezed his throbbing cock. Lyla's hand didn't even close around it, it was so thick. She massaged the underside of his tip and he braced his arm against one of the bedposts as her touch overwhelmed him. Next thing he knew she had gone from kneeling in front of him to swiftly turning him onto his back below her. She put her knees on either side of his thighs and pressed the heel of her hands into his shoulders, her breasts swaying above him. He ran her hands up and down her sides in anticipation and she could feel his hands trembling around her.

Lyla slowly lowered herself onto him, slowly allowing his girth to penetrate her. She breathed in sharply with discomfort as he felt herself stretch to allow him into her and his tip pressed against her cervix. She felt her wetness drip down between her legs, coating his shaft. Charlie's eyes briefly rolled back then refocused on Lyla who was slowly rising up and down on top of him. Lyla bent over while she was still on top of him, her hands placed on either side of his head and breathed heavily from her open mouth. She drew her hips in closer to him and he sat up a little bit to kiss her; feeling himself slide in and out of her faster and faster as she began to rock her hips back and forth, her back arched to give her more leverage.

Suddenly, he began raising his hips into her, his legs bent; feet digging into the mattress beneath them. His hips moved up and down quickly beneath her, driving his cock into her deeper and deeper. She sat up on top of him again and moved her hips back and forth in a figure eight as he repeatedly thrust into her. Soon, she had no control over her own motions because Charlie was moving so quickly that she was bouncing up and down on top of him, his hands grasping both breasts as he did.

Lyla felt herself beginning to climax and bent over Charlie again, unable to remain upright as tremors filled her body. At this sign of release, Charlie wrapped his arm around her and rolled them both over so he was on top. From his knees he was moving even faster, his whole member inside as he slammed into her. She began to contract around him, her hand reaching toward the headboard behind her and clutching it until her hand was numb.

When Lyla began calling his name Charlie could no longer hold himself back. He drew his body close to hers and breathed on her neck. "Yes, Charlie, yes..." she moaned in his ear, her voice strained.

"OHHH!" she screamed when her orgasm swelled from their friction and spread to the rest of her body leaving her hot, flushed and gasping, continuously moaning as the waves of intense satisfaction washed over her.

After she climaxed, Charlie continued thrusting, causing her body to erupt with goose bumps from being overwhelmed with his continuous motion inside her. Her warmth was completely cuffed around him, squeezing his girth tightly. Her tightness combined with the way she was looking at him and the feel of her soft skin under his hands pushed him over the edge and he felt himself experience the sweet release of his thick, milky fluid. He involuntarily twitched a couple of times, his penis pressed deep inside throbbing violently against her soft, wet walls.

When he pulled out, he hung above her for a few second before rolling over next to her, both of them out of breath.

Lyla's eyelids were heavy with exhaustion but she turned on her side to face Charlie. He looked over at her as he tried to catch his breath.

"Hi" he huffed, smiling at her.

"Hi," she said back. They were both quiet for a long time, trying their hardest to stay awake. When sleep finally began to come over Lyla she muttered, "I love you too." And closed her eyes.


	15. Chapter 15

At dawn the next day Lyla woke Charlie up by taking his penis into her mouth and sucking gently. When he didn't wake up right away she moved her mouth all the way down the shaft and up again then flicked the sensitive spot on the underside of the tip with the tip of her tongue. He woke up slowly and pulled the blankets down so he could see her. She looked up at him, her eyes twinkling with a silent smile. The combination of her wet tongue on his penis and those eyes looking at him made him fully erect and he reached down, picked her up and laid her down on her stomach perpendicular to his body. He turned and got on his knees behind her then pulled her up by her hips onto her knees in front of him. After forcefully grabbing her ass cheeks and looking down at her face, turned to face him he thrust himself into her again. Charlie held her close to him by holding onto her thighs; he was gripping her muscular leg so hard that she felt purple bruises erupt underneath his finger tips. She groaned into the sheets and balled them up into her hands while his sweaty body slapped against her backside and his penis rammed against the walls of her dripping vagina. At this angle, the curve in his penis was perfectly aligned to rub against her G-spot and she came much faster this time. She gasped and screamed into the mattress, reaching her hand back to grab his wrist and interlace her fingers in his. Despite his force and speed Charlie concentrated hard enough to keep going. Lyla had become dead weight when her body collapsed with exhaustion but Charlie continued to hold her up to his body and thrust in and out of her. She pushed her damp hair out of her face when she felt the pleasure start to build in her again. Charlie smiled when he felt her tightening around him again and slowed his rhythm down giving her a chance to build into a climax again.

When he saw her hands expand and contract on the sheets, her knuckles white, and she began screaming, "Oh yes! Oh yes!" over and over again he sped up and released himself into her. Both their organs were pulsating violently causing them both to shiver and jerk until their orgasms came to an end. After Charlie pulled out of her, Lyla collapsed fully onto the bed, the front half of her body hanging over the side while Charlie fell backwards back onto his pillow. He lifted her legs to drape them across his body and squeezed her feet soothingly.

"Good morning" he said

"Good morning" she replied, the smile on her face coming across in her voice.

He slapped her on the ass playfully and she spun herself around, back onto the bed, to lay next to him. "How about a caffeine boost at Madame Puddyfoot's this morning?"

"Sure" she said playfully, flipping her hair to the other side.

After a few minutes of silence in which Lyla's eyes had begun to close again Charlie started rubbing her arm with his hand. She opened her eyes slightly and smiled at him. "So" he began apprehensively, "about last night..."

"Yeahhh" she said excitedly, moving her body closer to him.

"Has no one ever..." he cleared his throat "everrrr taken care of you before?"

Lyla's face flushed and she pulled the sheets up to her face. "I don't know" she said finally. "I mean I do know that, no I've never...gotten that before. But I think it's just that I've never been with someone who would...do that for...me."

"Well," he said, smiling elfishly at her, "I'm glad I could be your first something."

She laughed and rolled onto her back, "Well clearly I'm not your first something" she looked up at the canopy and sighed watching the room get brighter as the sun slowly rose. "Who's your teacher?"

Charlie's eyes darted away from her, "Come on now, Lye, we're not about to compare lists."

"Fine" she huffed. She started chewing the inside of her cheek and tapping her finger on her hand while they rested on top of one another on her stomach. "...It's Meg, isn't it" she blurted finally.

Charlie rolled on top of her and stared her right in the face. "You really wanna know?"

She hesitated, pulling her face away from his so he was in focus and nodded. "I want to know what I'm up against with her."

"You're not 'up against' anything with her" he scoffed, rolling his eyes and rolling off her. "No one on my list could possibly unseat you as my number one."

"So, there's more than one person on your list?" she asked, trying to be nonchalant and running her fingers across his chest.

"Yeah" he said defensively, "You and I both know it's probably shorter than your list."

"So yes, Meg?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Yes, Meg." he replied, "You happy now?"

"Yes" she said curtly, "Thank you."

"What about you and Jack?" he asked

Lyla laughed and then covered her mouth. "You're joking right?"

"No, I'm serious. He's really close to you and-"

"Jack is homosexual!" Lyla shrieked through fits of laughter.

Charlie blushed and then tackled Lyla, playfully nipping at her exposed skin. He stuck his face between her breasts and shook his head back and forth, causing her to continue her laughter. When she stopped laughing he softly kissed her on the lips then got up to get dressed. While he was pulling on his boxers she crossed to the bathroom and closed the door. After peeing she quickly jumped in the shower to clean the stickiness off her inner thighs.

"Oh good idea!" Charlie called to her from the doorway, letting his pants fall to the floor again and stepping into the shower behind her. She rested her back against the wall across from him and closed her eyes, letting warm steam fill her lungs. Charlie rubbed his body down in silence, giving Lyla space to let the water cascade over her. She drowsily ran her fingers through her hair then opened her eyes to look at Charlie and smiled. "Love you, Lyla" he said matter of factly as he wiped the water from his face and hair sending the tin droplets spurting in different directions.

"I know" she said coyly and turned off the water. He waited patiently for her to speak again but she simply smirked and exited the shower, wrapping a towel around her body. p

He stepped out after her, shrugging his shoulders, "That's fine, I heard you say it last night anyway." He snapped the bathroom door shut behind him and Lyla blushed happily.

Lyla dried her hair naturally, letting the soft, thick waves take form. She pinched her cheeks gently before exiting the bathroom and rejoining a now fully clothed Charlie. Lyla pulled on a pair of dark wash jeans, snapped her bra on and slipped her arms through a crewneck sweatshirt and stuck her head in as well. The threads in the sweatshirt changed color as a reaction to her mood but the brilliance in its design was that it didn't have a standardized key for the meanings of colors but were singular to each wearer, much like the smell of a love potion varies between those smelling it. So, when the sweatshirt rested comfortably on her skin, Lyla knew that the light, moss green meant that she was happy, no - more than happy, content.

Charlie looked at her in the soft green sweatshirt, contrasted against her skin and brightening her deep green eyes. "Ready to go?" he asked, rubbing her back

"Mhmmm" she said, nodding and slinging her bag over her shoulder. Before it comfortably rested on her Charlie had snatched it off again and put it on his shoulder instead. On their way out Charlie ducked into another room in the guest tower and came out with another bag. "Whose is that?" Lyla asked.

"Mine" he said "I was going to be just down the hall. I much preferred the alternative sleeping arrangements though." Charlie pinched the seat of her pants and she jumped then hit him in the chest playfully squealing.

They walked slowly together, looking at the new light soaking into the dark stone of the castle walls. "What are you thinking about?" Lyla asked Charlie, slipping her hand into his.

"Just about how long ago it felt like we were here" he sighed, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Yeah" she agreed. "Do you think that we've changed that much since then?"

"Well," Charlie chuckled and flexed his muscles, "I know I have." He looked at her longingly. "What's wrong."

"I love you too, Charlie" she said in response. "I'm sorry I didn't say it before."

"It's okay" he said reassuringly, "We're both still changing. Besides, you didn't have to say it for me to know."

They trekked across the grounds in the chilly early morning air and made their way to Hogsmead. The air in Madame Puddyfoot's warmed their faces from the brisk fall air and they sat at a table close to the window. Lyla ordered a cafe au lait and a lemon sage scone for breakfast and Charlie ordered a latte with a double shot and a buttered croissant. ''

"So, tell me about work" Charlie said as he sat back in his chair.

"It's good" Lyla replied, "Before I came here we had a debriefing for the Ministry." she pulled her hair away from her face and rested her hand on the back of her head. "I don't know, Charlie. Something is wrong. Ever since the World Cup things have been off and no one is listening to us."

"You never mentioned it before" he said concernedly.

"I didn't think it would do well in a letter. You know Dolores Umbridge?"

"Yeah I've heard of her"

"It feels like she's keeping Fudge in complete denial, feeding his ego by creating this illusion of what a great job he's doing. They started these meetings, supposedly, so that they could have their ear to the floor and prevent something like that happening again. But...something is wrong. The spirits that I visit keep telling me He-" she cut off when Madame Puddyfoot brought their breakfasts over on a tray and placed each dish down in front of them.

"Thank you" Charlie said, smiling at the shop owner. When she disappear into the back of her shop again, Charlie took a sip of his coffee and nodded his head for Lyla to continue.

She lowered her voice despite the fact that they were the only two in the shop. "They keep telling me He Who Must Not Be Named is back." Charlie's face darkened, "And it's not just me" she continued, "The unicorns and the centaurs are acting strange too."

After being silent for a long time Charlie spoke. "The dragons have stopped breeding" he said, rubbing his face, "Those eggs yesterday were the first we've had in a long time."

She reached her hand out to his, "That's why you were all so upset when Krum caused her to trample all over them."

He nodded. "They don't breed often as it is and each breed has it's season but the females have been spurning the males using whatever measures they can to keep them away, even long term mates. We don't know what it means."

"The unicorn caretakers don't know what their shift in migration mean either. They can't speak unicorn like you can't speak dragon." she leaned closer to him, "But the centaur liaisons have heard the words just like I have. I've never been so scared before, we never lived in a time like this."

"It feels like a shoe has dropped but we don't know where the other one is going to hit." he grasped her hand and watched her drink her coffee in silence. "I wish I could take you with me to Romania. Don't they have a spirit division through the Romanian Embassy?"

Lyla laughed and turned away from him, looking out the window, "Yeah, they do but, Charlie, I just got this job and these problems are around England right now. I would be desk bound in Romania."

"That's not you" he sighed in defeat.

"Nope, I love my job. One day you'll get old and tired out and come back home." she teased, winking at him.

"Comes with the territory!" he shrugged "You know, I'm gunna talk to my dad about everything going on, I'm sure he has an idea but he can talk to your uncle and Remus and Kingsley. If the Minister isn't going to do something surely they can keep their eyes open."

It took them a long time to finish their breakfasts despite the small cups of coffee and their single pastries. They took small bites and kept stopping to talk, dreading the time they had to stand up and go back to their separate lives. They finally did and, after stepping out of Madame Puddyfoot's, they kissed passionately and said goodbye.


	16. Chapter 16

Over the next few weeks while Lyla was out on assignment Charlie came to stay with her wherever she was whenever he was off, which wasn't often. They got maybe two days together every two weeks and it never fell on a weekend so Lyla was still working. If he came to her late at night he fell asleep next to her and woke her up in the morning with his tongue between her legs. He never would've imagined her allowing him being with her to be so easy. Ever since he knew her, even when they were just friends, Lyla made things difficult for those around her - he thought it was for them to prove their loyalty to her due to her, wholly understandable, fear of abandonment. This uncatchable quality in her made her exponentially more desirable to the boys around her but, when it came to them, she was just happy to have someone dote on her and have a good time with.

With Charlie it was different. Her constant anxiety when in an exposed relationship was quelled when he was around and every time she felt his arms around her they told her he wasn't going anywhere. She kept parts of her closed off because, no matter how safe Charlie made her feel, her father had made her feel the same way and he hadn't been seen in ten years.

Despite how in tune their bodies were with one another and how much fun they had when their bodies were locked together Charlie loved when he was able to come in the morning or the afternoon when she was out on a job. He bought flowers and put them in a vase on the little table in her hotel room kitchenette and made dinner for her to come home to. She never knew when he would be there so when she walked in and he was already there and her room smelt of flowers and savory aromas of food her face transformed from haggard and tired to bright and excited.

It was six weeks after their time together at Hogwarts that the nausea started. One night, Jack was over her apartment and she had popped open a bottle of red wine. She was pouring it into a glass when she gagged and knocked it over, the wine pouring down her counter and onto the floor. Setting the bottle down on the counter, she turned around to the sink and emptied the contents of her stomach.

"Holy Mairee, Lyla!" Jack screamed, standing up from her couch and running over to her. He grabbed her hair out of her face as she heaved into the sink. "Whasa matta? Yew ate a bad fish o sumfing?"

"Ohhh I dunno, I dunno, I dunno." she said quickly, wiping the tears from her eyes and spitting the bile stuck in her esophagus into the sink. Jack grabbed the faucet and turned it on to wash her chunks down the drain as best he could. "The wine it bad I think. It just pushed me over the edge...I've been feeling nauseous for a couple of days now."

Jack crossed to her counter, picked up the bottle of wine and sniffed it. "It's fine Lyla." he said, putting it back down, "Whachu mea you been feelin dis way for a couple o days?"

"My stomach has been hurting and I haven't really felt like eating." she shrugged, wiping her face with a paper towel.

"Oo you been avin sex wit that knocked you up den?"

"What?" she said abrasively, backing away from him.

"Yew oveeusly pregnunt, Lye" he said, rolling his eyes, "Doan av to keep it from me."

Lyla began to hyperventilate and sunk the the ground, shaking her head over and over again as the pieces started to fall together and her was overwhelmed with emotions. When tears started streaming down her face, Jack knelt down to her and wrapped his arms around her.

He rocked her side to side, "O hunny, eye din know yew din know." he pet her head. When her breathing slowed he let go of her and sat down next to her, grasping her hand. "Wutchu gon do?"

"I don't know." she said, staring off into space. "I guess I should tell him"

"Oo is it den?"

"Charlie"

"Oh Lye!" he said excitedly, squeezing her tightly "Eye din no yew guys wuh serious!"

"Yeah...I mean no! I don't know...definitely not this serious. This is, this is definitely a surprise."

"Ow do ya feew about ih?"

Lyla was quiet for a long time as she filtered through emotions in her head. She thought about her career and how it would be over once she moved to Romania. She thought about how disappointed her father would be in her but she had thought that many times in her life. She thought about her sister and Jerry and how beautifully aglow Vanessa was. She saw her mother demanding a wedding and her uncle trying to calm her down. She thought about what Charlie had said about the dragons refusing to breed and the many faces of different ghosts screaming at her, 'He's back, he's back!' and was scared. Then, she imagined Charlie holding a dragon stuffed animal over a bassinet and making snorting noises.

"I don't want to feel anything" she said finally, "Not until I know how Charlie feels."

"Yew doan let a man duffine yew, Lye, yew nevva ave."

"I'm not." she said, "I just don't want...to get my hopes up"

"Ahhhh!" Jack squealed, covering his mouth and nose with his hands. "Unkka Jack!" he shook her gently until she broke into a smile. "Ahrright" Jack said, standing up officially, "We neeta gehchu on the Night Bus to Rummania. No, mebbie St. Mungo's first. No, uhkay, dey ave hospitals in Rummania, definitely go tuh Rummania and tell Chahlee!"

He grabbed her by the hand, dragged her down the stairs to the street and held out his wand hand. When the Night Bus squealed to a stop next to them he squeezed Lylas face, kissed her on the mouth and said to the driver. "Pressus cahgo ere, pressus cahgo!"

She fell asleep on the Night Bus and didn't get to the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary until dawn. It was a little bit down the road to the main office of the sanctuary where records were kept and calls for retrievals were taken. When she knocked on the door she was gruffly welcomed by a stocky woman, "Can I help you?" she asked.

"I'm a friend of Charlie Weasley's, I'm here to visit him but it's the first time I've been to the sanctuary."

"Okay" she said waving Lyla to follow in behind her. "I'll have one of our surveying carriages take you down to the cottages."

A thin man helped her up into the carriage and climbed into the front to guide the two pygmy dragons pulling the cart down towards the sanctuary's quarters. She held on to the back of the carriage as it rocketed down a dirt road, through some trees and out into a clearing where a wide field stretched like a carpet beneath a mountainous horizon. There was a neighborhood of cottages peppered through the field with white clouds pouring out their smokestacks into the early morning sky. The thin man pulled the reins around pygmy dragons having them halt in front of a curved block of cottages.

"Charlie Weasley, Charlie Weasley" the man muttered, looking at a map on the front of the cart. "Okay then, his house is down the line fourth of fifth house. Should say his name on the mailbox"

"Thank you so much" she said, climbing down off the carriage and watched as it sped away. She strode down the row, reading the names on the mailboxes as she went. She was so focused on finding the right house that she didn't see a drove of people come through the trees across from her.

"Lyla?!" Charlie screamed when he spied her in the distance. "LYLA!" he called again, getting her attention, and quickening his pace towards her.

"Hi!" she called back, waving and smiling. She felt her stomach churn nervously.

Charlie was completely black from head to toe, covered in soot but that didn't stop him from picking Lyla up, holding her close to his body and spinning her around.

"Ohhh no, no" she groaned, the spinning worsening her nausea

"Oh I'm sorry." he said, planting her back on the floor and smiling at her, he white teeth glowing through his soot stained face. "This is such a surprise! What are you doing here?" He swung his arm around her and lead her towards his house.

She was completely dusted from head to toe from the soot that had transferred onto her from his touch. "I just...needed to see you." she said, smiling. He squeezed her and kissed her on the head, overwhelmed with joy.

"Ah I see someone got all dirty" Ronin chuckled, patting Lyla on the back. "How would you two like to come over to my place and we'll all have a drink together?"

"Sure!"

"Raincheck" Charlie looked down at Lyla when their words overlapped and she refused Ronin's offer.

"Um, yeah Ronin. Lyla just got here I'm sure she's tired..."

"We'd definitely be able to get together later!" Lyla said enthusiastically

"Oh, alright then" he smile jovially, "See you both later on!"

Charlie picked Lyla up again, one arm under her back and the other in the crook of her knees crossing the threshold into his cottage, kissing her temple. He lowered her onto his couch and laid on top of her, kissing her gently. She was completely lost in him, kissing him back hungrily praying for this moment to last forever so that she didn't have to confront him.

"I'm so dirty" he said getting off of her and heading towards his bathroom; leaving his dirty clothes in a trail behind him. She sat up on the couch and then got up, picked up his clothes and threw them in the sink to wash them for him. She left the brushes scrubbing his clothes of their own accord and followed behind Charlie into the bathroom. "Coming in?" he said, he body cleared of soot.

When she entered the shower behind him she saw that, along with the wet trails of dirt falling down the drain she saw drops of red sliding down his body from a gash on his ribs. He cupped her face in his hands and pulled her face up to him to kiss her deeply, his tongue rolling around in her mouth. Grasping her back with both hands he dragged his fingers down her back leaving faint, red marks and Lyla moaned.

"Wait" she said, pulling away from him. "Just...get cleaned up and I'll meet you in the bedroom." He shrugged and ran a bar of soap over his body watching Lyla climb out of the tub and dry off.

She strode into his bedroom and pulled open one of the drawers in his dresser. She found a pair of sweats and an old t-shirt with some holes in the armpit. She held the pants up to her body and chuckled at how large they would be on her. She tapped her wand against the fabric to shrink the pants until the elastic fit snuggly around her waist and weren't covering her feet. As the t-shirt slid down over her head she breathed in Charlie's smell from it. The tee shrunk as well, stretched over her bosom and loose around her midriff. Charlie came in the room with a towel wrapped around his waist and looked at her sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Got dressed again." he stated, rather disappointed. "Those look like Lyla sized versions of my clothes" he laughed

"Why they are in fact!" she said pulling at the bottom of the shirt and lifting her arm to display the holes. She laughed too then sobered. "Hey, come sit with me." she pat the bed next to her.

He instantly obliged her and stroked her hair, looking at her intently. "I can't believe you surprised me like this." He nudged his damp face against hers and kissed her briefly.

She criss-crossed her legs on the bed and turned to face Charlie. "I just needed to see you...talk to you" she smiled weakly. "I loooove being with you." she took a deep breath and watched painfully as Charlie's face became worried. "And I love you too. And I mean people who believe in fate would probably say that's what we are...we're fated to be together. I really want to stay together-"

"So do I!" he said frantically, grabbing her hands.

"Are you sure?" she asked, imploring him with her eyes.

"Of course I am. Please don't do this, don't try and push me away because you're sc-"

"No, that's not what this is." she kneeled in front of him and kissed him all over his face, transferring some of the tears leaking from her eyes. He pulled away from her and stared at her as tears flowed from her eyes. It was an eternity before she was finally able to speak but he gave her the time she needed. "I think I'm pregnant, Charlie."


	17. Chapter 17

It was quiet for a really long time and Charlie was blinking at an increased rate. Lyla was completely silent, tears continuing to fall from her eyes.

Suddenly, Charlie's hands were on her face, forcefully rubbing the tears from her eyes as his own began to water. "A baby?" he gasped, finally. She nodded uncertainly and he smiled brightly, single droplets falling onto his cheeks. "A baby!" he screamed, picking her up at the waist and holding her over him then clutching her to his body.

"Are-are you happy?" she asked shakily in his ear.

"Yeah" he breathed, hugging her closer. He sat back down on the bed and stood her in front of him, lightly rubbing her stomach. "I mean...is the timing perfect? No. Do I know what to do right now? No." his leg began bouncing up and down involuntarily when the wheels of logic began turning in his head. "Is my mom going to kill me? Yeah, most definitely." He looked around his room. "Do I have what I need to provide for it?" he swallowed forcefully "I-I don't know." He looked down at his terry cloth clad knees and then back up at Lyla. "Do I feel like all my dreams are coming true, no matter how inconveniently? Yes. Is the prospect of raising a baby with you the most exhilarating prospect of my life? Yes" Lyla's shoulders began to shake with uncontrollable happiness and tears continued to stream down her face. He stood up and wiped her eyes again. "Is this going to be the hardest thing we've ever had to do? Yes. Will it be worth it? Absolutely."

She grabbed his face and kissed him roughly, turning around and standing on the bed so she was holding his face up to her. He grabbed the back of her legs causing her to fall violently to the bed. He dropped the towel from around his waist and slowly pulled the sweatpants off of Lyla then slid his hands under her shirt and pulled it off over her head. He kissed her neck sensuously and slid slowly into her. He ran his hands up her body and over her arms finally lacing his fingers with hers as he moved rhythmically inside her.

Lyla didn't attempt to bite his lip or scratch his back and he didn't suck on her delicate skin or ram his cock into her roughly. He moved slowly, feeling every inch of her around him. She fully experienced every etched line in his penis when, rubbed against her supple walls, gave her a different feeling with each soft, slow thrust. Their eyes were locked on one another the whole time and, after an intense yet gentle hour of what fit the dictionary definition of 'love making', they came together, what would've been screams escaped their bodies as whimpers and moans instead.

"I love you, I love you so much Lyla" Charlie said when he laid down next to her

"I love you too." she said back, smiling at him. She pulled the covers over her body and looked up at the ceiling in contentment, "If I were going to have a baby with anyone...I'm so glad it's with you."

"What are your thoughts about it...I'm so sorry I never even asked." He turned to her rubbing her temple.

She sat up and quickly pulled her clothes back on. "I don't know I think you said it really well...it's the happiest I've ever been to be inconvenienced." she sat back down next to him and sighed. "But it's such an inconvenience." she held her head in her hands. "I have to sell my apartment, get transferred, find a doctor in Romania, tell my mom I'm moving to Romania..."

"Woah, woah, woah" he said zipping up his jeans and walking around the bed to face her. "You don't have to do all that."

"There's no dragon sanctuary in England and there is a Spirit Division in the Romanian Ministry. Besides...I want to. I want to come live with you. In this cute little cottage, underneath these beautiful mountains."

Lyla noticed that Charlie was beginning to sweat, the skin around his hairline blistering with perspiration and her hand flew to her hair, obsessively twirling and running her fingers through it. Charlie pulled her hand down away from her head and held in roughly in his hands. "I'm just so sorry." he said finally, choking back fear.

"Sorry?" she asked, tilting her head and searching his eyes for an explanation

"Your job...your life. Your family, your..." he trailed off and looked at her stomach. "I didn't mean to ruin this for you."

"Hey" she said, smiling weakly, "Nothing's ruined...just different."

He inhaled deeply and shook his head as though clearing his thoughts "Okay, there's a hospital on the grounds. Do you want to try and get an appointment for this afternoon, while I'm still off?"

Lyla's mouth dried out and her thoughts clouded while this situation became all too real but she nodded her head anyway in agreement. Charlie stood up quickly and left the bedroom, crossed the living room to a panel next to the door. Lyla followed him out and watched as he pushed a green button.

Through the speaker in the panel she heard someone say, "Medical Line, what is your emergency?"

"No emergency, can you connect me to a midwife please?" he said calmly into the speaker

"Right away, sir" the polite voice said

"Office of Birthing Professionals" a young voice finally said from the other side.

"Yes, I'd like to make an appointment at the earliest opportunity for my..." he hesitated and looked at Lyla, who smiled, "girlfriend, please."

"Midwife Allegra is open all afternoon. We don't have very many women in need of our services at this moment. Your girlfriend can come in at any time."

"Okay thank you." he turned to face Lyla, "You want to go?"

"Umm" she fidgeted nervously, "Yeah" she said, taking a deep breath to bolster herself up, "lets go."

Before stepping outside, Charlie plucked an old jean jacket out of the closet on the other side of the door and threw it around Lyla's shoulders. When they emerged into the valley she pulled the oversized jacket close around her body. They walked in silence up a sloping hill to a sort of village center in the sanctuary.

"Wow this is like your own little town" Lyla commented.

"It's kind of isolating" he said, looking at her while she looked around at the shops and the sky, knowing that someone as vibrant and social as she was would feel stuck in a place like this.

"I can imagine" she sighed breathing in the fresh air. "It's beautiful though."

"You're beautiful" he said, wrapping his arm around her waist, guiding her through the town center. The doors to the medical clinic opened when they approached and Lyla squeezed Charlie's hand with her clammy one. They approached the welcome desk apprehensively and Charlie cleared his throat.

"Can I help you?" The young girl at the desk said

"We're here to see Midwife Allegra" Charlie said raspilly.

"Alright, just go down that hall to the left and it's the third door on the left...it has a bunch of baby dragons painted on it." the young girl smiled and wrinkled her nose in adoration of the idea of the whimsical dragons on the door. She smiled brightly at Lyla and, somehow, her innocent, young smile reassured her and she felt all the muscles in her body relax.

She soothingly rubbed Charlie's bicep and forwarded the bright smile she received from the receptionist to him. He furrowed his eyebrows confusedly and smiled back at her. When they reached the periwinkle door with the chubby, little, brightly colored dragon babies frolicking across it it was truly delightful and she saw Charlie's face relax and his eyes sparkle when he saw it. Lyla wondered if he was picturing himself with a dragon stuffed animal over a bassinet as she had.

When they entered the Birthing Center the walls were warm and inviting and there were many green, docile plants around the front desk.

"Ahh" said a soothing voice from beyond the desk, "You must be the ones who called for a midwife."

Charlie and Lyla walked closer to the desk and peered over it to see a squat House Elf wearing a purple tea towel, rouge and a hat with a large peony on it. She smiled up at Charlie and Lyla, the skin around her eyes wrinkling around the twinkling globes within them. Lyla sighed contently at the presence of this welcoming House Elf and smiled at the hat sitting, crookedly on her head between her ears. It bravely declared her freedom from servitude and she wore it proudly.

"You look lovely, dear" the House Elf continued, lifting the small, half moon glasses that were tied around her neck with a shoelace onto the tip of her nose.

"Thank you" Lyla said, in a much softer tone than her usual voice "I love your hat, peonies are one of my favorite flowers"

The House Elf beamed and patted her hat gently. "Now, if you'd just both fill out some information I'd be happy to file it into our system and send you back with Miss Allegra." She handed Charlie and Lyla a few scrolls of paper and a small quill to fill them out with. Lyla filled out her date of birth, residence and place of business then went on to answer questions about her medical history and, finally, the approximate date of conception. They each signed a paper with their contact information and Charlie filled out a form for payment through the Sanctuary then turned it into the House Elf. She hopped off her chair behind the desk and hobbled over to open the door to the center for them to enter. They followed her down the hallway and then peered into the door she was gesturing for them to enter.

"Thank you" Lyla said, smiling at the elf.

"Yes" Charlie agreed.

"Of course" the elf nodded deeply and walked back to her station at the desk.

"Please, please!" a high, wavering voice beckoned to them "Come in, sit down"

The room was a burnt orange and there was an array of pillows on the floor in different shades of purple. A small, comfortable cot was on the ground, raised only a few inches off the ground next to the sinewy, silver haired women who was kneeling on a large purple pillow next to it. Lyla sat across from the woman and Charlie attempted to sit on a pillow but his large, boxy frame didn't lend itself to flexibility and he was constantly moving, trying to get comfortable.

"Now," Allegra continued, hovering her hands over Lyla's abdomen. "It said you were six weeks along so your due date should be around mid August, most people don't know that pregnancy lasts a little more than nine months so I'm thinking this little one will be a Leo."

Lyla grabbed Charlie's hand and squeezed it, "The Lion"

Allegra smiled at her wisely and nodded, "So, the Little Lion in there is about the size of a pea. Tell me about how you've been feeling and your symptoms. Nausea? Moodiness? Fatigue?"

"Nausea, absolutely." Lyla replied, "Usually in the late afternoon or evening. I don't know if I'm tired from fatigue or just my trip to Romania or all the craziness of this news..." she sighed

"Ah," Allegra said, waving her finger gracefully in the air, "So this is a little bit of a surprise for us, yes?"

Charlie cleared his throat, "Yea" he said, his voice dry.

"Well" she sighed, pumping some lavender lotion into her hands and rubbing it into her silken, wrinkled skin "That's okay, everything will be fine. It's essential in these next six weeks that you not let this stress you out too much. I know that's hard" she said, seeing the glances Charlie and Lyla were looking at one another. "But the first trimester is the most fragile time for our cub, here, okay?" Lyla felt her throat tighten, her eyes well up and her cheeks flush but Allegra reached out and held her hand softly, "I can give you some creams and herbs for tea to help you relax if you think it may take a toll." She stood up abruptly and began puttering around the tall apothecary table set against the wall. Charlie began rubbing Lyla's back. "Have you told your families?" Allegra asked over her shoulder to them.

"No" they both croaked

"No, not yet" Lyla continued. "I realized it was a possibility and came to see him right away."

"Well, it is, in fact, an actuality, Flower. You're pregnant and you are truly radiant" she lowered herself back onto the floor in front of Lyla and smiled at her reassuringly. "Little Birds, I wouldn't tell your families just yet."

Charlie shifted uncomfortably behind Lyla and coughed softly.

"If you feel their reactions may be overwhelming to you it's unnecessary to let them know right away and put added stress on yourselves. This time really would be best spent coming together as a couple and a new family if that's what you desire." she let silence fall in the room and be absorbed by the thick, warm air and the plush pillows around them. "Okay, Lyla, if you'd like to lie down on the cot, I'll do a short exam and I'll send you home with some of the herbs here."

Lyla crouched down next to the cot and rolled onto her back to look at the ceiling. She lifted her shirt up to underneath her bust and took a deep breath. Allegra moved close to the cot and kneeled over Lyla, rubbing her stomach with a light, fresh oil and closed her eyes. Lyla closed her eyes as well and focused on the soft touch and refreshing scent of the oil underneath Allegra's hands, her stomach stopped flipping and making embarrassing noises for the first time all day.

"Okay!" Allegra said sunnily, getting to her feet to wash her hands. Lyla sat up on her elbows and cracked her neck to release the serenity flowing from her stomach into her head. "It's still very early and I'm glad you came to see me right away. Everything seems to be normal and moving along as it should be and I'm going to assure you that there's no apparent need for concern."

"Can we..." Charlie chimed in, "can we hear it yet?"

"No" Allegra sighed passively, "It's still a little early and it's rare to be able to hear the fetus at this time. In, maybe, two to three weeks we'll make you another appointment and see what we see then."

Charlie helped Lyla up and nodded understandingly to Allegra who said, "Now, I have prescribed you some of the oil I just used which will help with the elasticity of you skin and some herbs for the tea. You can drink it as needed if you're feeling particularly stressed or regularly, it won't have any adverse effects. I do suggest drinking it at night or when you have nothing going on, especially if that fatigue starts to kick in a little more for you."

"Thank you very much Madame Allegra" Lyla said as Charlie plucked the two jars from Allegra's hands and they followed her back to the front desk.

"Absolutely!" she said and rubbed a tendril of Lyla's hair between her fingers "Now, go home and enjoy one another!" she smiled and waved goodbye to both of them as they exited the office, the door of adorable dragons closing behind them.


	18. Chapter 18

Lyla and Charlie walked down the gently sloping hill from the village center to the cottages. Charlie juggled the various jars and tins in one hand while his other was closed gently around Lyla's hand. On the way towards Charlie's cottage they ran into Taylor and another colleague of theirs, Liam. Both had bottles of alcohol in hand and explained they were going to Dorin's for dinner.

"You should come!" Taylor said excitedly, squeezing Lyla.

Lyla looked up at Charlie and smiled, he nodded at her in response. "Yeah," he said "We'll be there. We just have to stop home."

"Yeah" Lyla chuckled, "I hope it's not a formal affair because I'll probably be turning up in this" she tugged at the hem of her shirt.

"No, no! Not at all!" they waved as they walked away, towards Dorin's cottage.

When they walked into Charlie's cabin and the door snapped shut behind them the air vibrated with silence. Lyla rested her hip on the back of the couch and stared at the wall across from her, her back to the entrance, where Charlie was standing looking at the back of her head. The tension broke when he walked over to her and placed his clammy hand on the nape of her neck and ran his thick, rough fingers against her soft, warm skin.

Lyla closed her eyes and smiled then turned back to face him. Charlie leaned in and rubbed his cheek against hers then pressed their foreheads together. Her moss green eyes looked into his soft blue ones while he squeezed her upper arms gently then, he licked her nose.

"Gah!" she said softly, pulling away from him and wiping her nose. Charlie chuckled and kissed her cheek right next to her eye, and moved to the kitchen to put the tea from Madame Allegra in one of the cabinets.

"We don't have to go to the party tonight if you don't want to, you know" he said as he moved into the bedroom to put the oil Lyla had gotten as well.

"No," she said, following him into the bedroom, "I want to!"

"Okay," he said, kissing her on the head. "You want to go now? How do you feel?"

Lyla took a second and evaluated her body. She wasn't feeling that nauseous anymore so she shook her head softly and smiled up at Charlie. "I'm fine, we can go. Just give me a second." She moved into the bathroom and looked in her face in the mirror. She was still wearing the same makeup as the night before when she was with Jack. The corners of her eyeliner were smudged down her lower eyelid a bit and her blush had been pretty much scrubbed off. With the tip of her ring finger she pushed the residual eyeliner off her eyelid to return her it to a clean line.

When she met Charlie at the front door to leave for Dorin's cabin he kissed her deeply, pressing his lips into hers and weaving his fingers into her hair on the back of her head. She smiled into the kiss and closed her eyes. He pulled away and cupped her hand in his, led her out the door and locked it behind them.

The fall air was colder in the canyon beneath the mountains and the sweatshirt that Lyla had taken from Charlie was barely sufficient to warm her so she slung Charlie's arm over her shoulder and nuzzled into his warm, rugged side. They walked along in front of the cottages and watched the lights from the torches staked in the path flicker on the ground in front of them and reflect the shadows of the houses and mountains in front of them.

Lyla tilted her head up to the sky and gasped softly at the bright peppering of stars across the sky, more than she had ever seen in London or even at her mother's house. Charlie concernedly looked down at her and followed her gaze upwards to the sky and smiled.

"Sometimes, I wish there was a window in my ceiling" he said, hugging her closer to him as they walked together. "But I see this sky enough when I'm working and fall asleep too fast when I lay down" Lyla chuckled in response.

Charlie gestured toward one of the cabins they were approaching and the couple veered toward it then knocked on the door. It opened almost instantly and Taylor, his cheeks flushed a deep red, pulled Lyla our from underneath Charlie's arm and into his torso, damp with sweat.

"Charlie's here!" he called excitedly to the rest of the cabin. Lyla couldn't see who else was in the dwelling because her face was pressed against Taylor's sweating pectoral.

"Taylor...Tay-Taylor!" Charlie said loudly, laughing and tugging at his arm. "Could you please not suffocate her?"

Lyla resurfaced, laughing and kissed Taylor on the cheek after being relinquished from his grasp. "Nice to see you cutie." Taylor hiccuped in response.

"Welcome!" Dorin boomed jovially and bumped his jaw against her head to simulate a welcoming kiss. "You haven't met Luke or Torry!" He held out his large hand to two men standing next to him in the kitchen.

"Luke" the tall, green-haired man with a deep, ragged scar on the side of his face said in greeting as he shook Lyla's hand. If it weren't for the deep cut on his face and dark circles under his eyes Lyla would've guessed that he was no more than a fifteen year old after a very successful growth spurt.

"Torry" the other said, smiling sweetly and shaking his light chestnut hair out of his face. He was stocky, with short, square hands to match his squared jaw.

From the living room some more people have come over to say hello as well and Charlie put his hand on the small of Lyla's back and turned her to face them.

"Hi!" a sweet-sounding, rich voice said, holding out a long-fingered copper colored hand "I'm Abirami. So nice to meet you!" Lyla looked up at the slender, toned woman shaking her hand. Abirami had a kind, long face and thick, raven hair braided to the right, exposing the undercut on the left side of her head.

"Nice to meet you too!" Lyla smiled back in response and shook her hand.

Javier walked between them and kissed Lyla on the cheek in greeting and rubbed her upper arm. He kept walking through and winked as he passed Lyla and continued into the living room.

"Here!" Liam said to Lyla, shoving a bottle of Butterbeer into her hands and swooping back to the living room with everyone else.

Abirami nodded her head toward the living room and Lyla followed her into the living room where Charlie was already with his colleagues. Meg was sitting in the corner next to the fireplace, sipping a Firewhiskey with the corners of her mouth turned up in a snide smile. She watched as Lyla pressed against Charlie and he turned to her and smiled. His smile fell when he saw the Butterbeer in her hand and he took it from her and downed it himself despite the drink in his other hand.

"Lyla" Charlie said abruptly, taking her away from her conversation with Abirami and introducing him to another woman with bright auburn hair, porcelain skin and rosy cheeks. "This is Torry's wife Velma" he said, introducing the two and watching them shake hands.

"Nice to meet you!" Lyla said smiling at her. "Do you live on the campus?"

"Yes!" she said, her voice high and mouse-like, a harsh contrast to her husband's deep growl.

"If you don't mind my asking, what do you do?"

"Do?" Velma asked "Oh, I work at one of the shops in town. It's a shop for soaps and scrubs and things mostly."

"How lovely!" Lyla exclaimed

"Yeah. Fascinating." a familiar, sour voice said behind her. "Nice to see you again, Layla" Meg handed another Butterbeer to Lyla, smiled and walked away.

"I thought your name was Lyla…" Velma said, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"It is" Lyla said, turning her back on Meg and rolling her eyes at Velma

In response to Lyla's eye roll Velma mouthed an "Oh" in understanding and nodded her head. Again, Charlie's hand removed the Butterbeer from Lyla's hand and he drank it quickly, Lyla chuckled at his vigilance and pulled his ear down to her mouth and said, "Just because I have to start eating for two doesn't mean you need to drink for two."

"Stop picking up drinks then" he goaded her playfully

"Let's play a game!" Taylor said excitedly, holding up some blank pieces of paper "Let's play Headbanders!"

"Yeah!" Abirami said enthusiastically. Velma smiled and bounced on the balls of her feet excitedly.

Charlie and Dorin cheered loudly together and high-fived, Charlie moving to stand next to Dorin.

"Aw man!" Liam said, "Can't we mix up the teams for once, you guys always win!"

"Yeah" Javier chimed in, "How about you play with your girlfriend!"

"No, no" Lyla said sarcastically, "I see how it is." she held her hands up in surrender.

"Lyla will be on my team!" Abirami said nodding in solidarity with Lyla

"Yeah!" Lyla said, moving closer to Dorin and Charlie "And we're going to kick your ass!"

"Ohhhhhhh!" the room erupted into drunk cat calls and Abirami pounded Lyla on the back supportively.

"Alright then" Dorin said, "Ladies first, pick your third team member."

"Taylor" Abirami said. She and Lyla high-fived and then high-fived Taylor when he came to stand by them. Dorin chose Torry, Lyla chose an very excited looking Velma, Charlie chose Luke, Abirami chose Liam, Dorin chose Meg. When she crossed to the other team's side of the living room Charlie looked at Lyla and winked and her reassuringly. When the teams were fully formed Taylor threw the blank pieces of paper into a bowl on the coffee table between the two teams and tapped his wand shortly three times.

Bottles of Butterbeer were continuously passed around and short glasses of Firewhiskey refilled while the two teams faced off against each other, everyone laughing at the attempted hints and wild gestures and screaming at one another when they accidentally answered for the other team. They had so much fun that they completely lost count of the points each team was earning and Lyla and Charlie spent the walk home chuckling and arguing about which one of their teams had won.

Lyla held Charlie up in the doorway while he kicked his shoes off into the living room. They walked in the semi darkness together to the bedroom and Charlie flopped down on the bed. Lyla walked into the bathroom and finally turned on the light, closing the door behind her. Her washed her face and removed the eyeliner from her lids.

When it was gone, she looked at herself in the mirror longer. As she looked at her own fair eyes in the mirror she dug her fingertips into her olive skin and dragged them down her cheeks, her skin lightening beneath their pressure and instantly returning to their golden tawny color when her fingers fell to the edge of the sink and rested there. She picked her hand back up and pinched the same cheek, feeling the density of it between her fingers and noting a slight increase in weight resting on her bones. She moved her hand down her face and neck and rested it on her collarbone, feeling the hard ridge that slopes into the soft pocket of skin below her shoulder. She dropped her hands to her waist and squeezed her sides together to make her fingertips touch across her midriff. Her eyes travelled down to her stomach and stared at it in the mirror. She pulled her shirt up over her head, keeping her eyes on her stomach and put her hands over her belly button. When she started rubbing her stomach her head tilted to the side and her eyes glazed over while she felt her skin beneath her hands and thought of the life stirring farther still beyond that.

"Hello in there" she whispered softly, rubbing her shoulder with her cheek and smiling

"Lyla?" Charlie groaned from inside

She jolted out of her reverie and focused her eyes again and saw her hands resting gently on her stomach. "Coming." she replied.


	19. Chapter 19

"Lyla?"

She jolted out of her reverie and focused her eyes on her hands resting gently on her stomach. "Coming!"

"Lyla!" her sister Vanessa opened the door to the bathroom, flooding the room with natural light and clicked her tongue impatiently until her eyes fell on her sister's hands, then she smiled knowingly. "It's amazing isn't it?" she tucked her younger sister's hair behind her ear.

"It went so fast." Lyla replied, smiling and running her hands over the large, living mound that had grown over the last five months.

"We could use your help when you're ready." Vanessa said softly and walked back out of the bathroom.

It was early May and the day of Lyla's baby shower that her sister had insisted on throwing for her. Charlie and Lyla had waited another month after she came to see him before telling their parents. Even after the four months that had passed since then Mrs. Weasley was still very prickly about the whole situation but had come to terms with it enough to agree to coming to the baby shower and be in the same room as Lyla. Lyla's mother, Hannah, excelled at choosing to see only the good in the situation and completely ignore the bad as she had been ever since the day her husband had disappeared.

None of the stressors that had been influencing her life up to this point were on her mind today. She had finally stopped feeling fatigued and was much more energetic, enough so that she had been able to handle cleaning her and Charlie's brand new two bedroom cottage all on her own at three o'clock the previous morning. Additionally, she was very uncharacteristically excited for her baby shower.

Since having her own baby Vanessa had been insatiably enthusiastic and the most supportive of her sister since Lyla and Charlie had told them over brunch four months ago. It was because of this enthusiasm that Lyla, herself, was so excited for the shower her sister was throwing. After dressing in a spring green, empire waist maxi dress with a design of iceland poppies moving up from the hem with silver glitter and crystals swirled around them Lyla moved through the cottage and met her mother and older sister in the small yard out the side door of the kitchen.

A handful of round tables were dressed with deep teal tablecloths and peach doilies underneath the place settings and playful centerpieces that featured diaper cakes with animated clay baby dragons climbing around it, complementing the colors on the table. Lyla's mother was waving her wand at the chairs, tying tulle around the backs of them into big fluffy bows. She kissed her pregnant daughter on the cheek and touched her stomach before continuing dressing the chairs.

"You guys are the best." Lyla said, looking around at the beautiful colors and table arrangements that her family had gotten up early to assemble.

After two hours of prepping food and Vanessa doing Lyla's hair to keep it off her neck in the warm, early summer sun of May Abirami knocked softly on the open front door and entered through the curtain of streamers.

"Lyla!" she called into the kitchen

"Hey!" Lyla said, wiping her hands on a towel and going to hug her friend. Since they had met Lyla's first night on the observatory campus she and Abirami had become close.

"How are you doing today?" Abirami asked, rubbing Lyla's back "Still dizzy?"

Lyla shrugged, "Nah, way better." She passed a crudite tray to Abirami and led her out to the yard carrying a pitcher of lemonade. "Mum, Vanessa" she said as she placed the pitcher down, "This is my friend Abirami, she works here with Charlie."

"Nice to meet you!" Hannah said warmly, shaking Abirami's hand.

The four of them did some light setup as the rest of the guests began trickling in. In addition to Abirami and Lyla's family members, Velma and two other wives Lyla had met over the last five months - Belle and London all came in together holding a large basket full of a handmade blanket, painted onesies and baby friendly soap that they had all used their collective talents to make. Soon after, Mrs. Weasley had arrived with a very stiff smile on her face that softened when she rested her hand on Lyla's stomach after forcefully handing Lyla a box wrapped in lime green paper with gnomes dancing across it. One of Lyla's best friends from school, Rebecca strode elegantly into her backyard in all black, contrasting her pal grey pixie cut - a long, sheer black skirt over a short black skirt swishing over the grass - and placed a silver wrapped box with a burgundy bow on the gift table before hugging Lyla as tightly as she could. After completing her education at Hogwarts Rebecca had since moved to France and began working as a robe designer. Despite the distance Lyla and Rebecca had remained close friends through post and when she told Rebecca that she was pregnant she made arrangements to have three days off from work to spend in Romania with her after her baby shower.

Lyla and Rebecca were sitting close to each other laughing when Jack burst into the backyard. He had dyed one eyebrow pink and the other blue and was wearing skin tight neon green jeans.

"Missus Murphy!" he screamed after dropping the bags in his hands on the ground and ran to hug Lyla's mother. Lyla hoisted herself onto her feet and braced herself as Jack ran over to her but he hugged her gently and kissed her on the cheek. One of the best things about being friends with someone like Jack while pregnant and tired is that he was perfectly happy going around to everyone and introducing himself all on his own.

After a few more fringe relatives arrived the party they began playing all these silly shower games that Vanessa had at her party. Some were pretty basic like the guests guessing what gender they thought the baby would be by firing different colored sparks at the large white three tiered cake, dying it different colors. It was pretty evenly split between pink and blue, hedging a little more on the pink side.

"Charlie would be so great with a little girl!" someone exclaimed

"You know he always was good with Ginny" replied Mrs. Weasley

"But, with that Weasley luck the odds are against it being a girl" one of Charlie's aunts wheezed in amusement.

Others were more in-depth like everyone putting their wishes for the baby in a golden bowl. After reading some of them outloud and the rest to herself Lyla then lit it ablaze. The fire that grew from it burned a bright purple and turned into a clear liquid that she then drank, supposedly transferring the good wishes from her family to the baby.

At the end of the shower, covered in different colored bows, streamers and ribbon after having opened the presents Lyla then got up to cut the cake. The top tier had a special seeking potion developed by leading healers at St. Mungo's that would provide answers to the drinker. It had been honed by a marketing company that then sold it as a gimmick for baby showers that would reveal the sex of the baby by staining the mother's mouth either pink or blue after consuming it.

Everyone in the garden tittered and hushed as she cut into the cake revealing the chocolate inside. When she sliced her fork into the piece she cut everyone went quiet while she lifted it to her mouth. She smiled as she chewed as her skin tingled with anticipation.

She swallowed slowly, ran her tongue over her teeth to make sure they were clean before opening her mouth to the guests in front of her.

A wave of noise rose from them as they squealed and cheered.

"A boy!" Lyla's mother cried as she ran to hug her daughter.


End file.
